onvulsions of delight, and Barbara being
frightened, ran away--not straight to where her mother and Kit's mother
were, though, lest they should see how red her cheeks were, and should
ask her why. Sly little Barbara!

When the first transports of the whole party had subsided, and Kit and
his mother, and Barbara and her mother, with little Jacob and the baby
to boot, had had their suppers together--which there was no hurrying
over, for they were going to stop there all night--Mr Garland called
Kit to him, and taking him into a room where they could be alone, told
him that he had something yet to say, which would surprise him greatly.
Kit looked so anxious and turned so pale on hearing this, that the old
gentleman hastened to add, he would be agreeably surprised; and asked
him if he would be ready next morning for a journey.

'For a journey, sir!' cried Kit.

'In company with me and my friend in the next room. Can you guess its
purpose?'

Kit turned paler yet, and shook his head.

'Oh yes. I think you do already,' said his master. 'Try.'

Kit murmured something rather rambling and unintelligible, but he
plainly pronounced the words 'Miss Nell,' three or four times--shaking
his head while he did so, as if he would add that there was no hope of
that.

But Mr Garland, instead of saying 'Try again,' as Kit had made sure he
would, told him very seriously, that he had guessed right.

'The place of their retreat is indeed discovered,' he said, 'at last.
And that is our journey's end.'

Kit faltered out such questions as, where was it, and how had it been
found, and how long since, and was she well and happy?

'Happy she is, beyond all doubt,' said Mr Garland. 'And well, I--I
trust she will be soon. She has been weak and ailing, as I learn, but
she was better when I heard this morning, and they were full of hope.
Sit you down, and you shall hear the rest.'

Scarcely venturing to draw his breath, Kit did as he was told. Mr
Garland then related to him, how he had a brother (of whom he would
remember to have heard him speak, and whose picture, taken when he was
a young man, hung in the best room), and how this brother lived a long
way off, in a country-place, with an old clergyman who had been his
early friend. How, although they loved each other as brothers should,
they had not met for many years, but had communicated by letter from
time to time, always looking forward to some period when they would
take each