at Abbotstoke Grange.

"Oh no; I am quite dry; feel."

"Are you sure?" said Mrs. Larpent, drawing her darling into a luxurious
bedroom, lighted up by a glowing fire, and full of pretty things. "Here,
come and take off your wet things, my dear, and Bellairs shall bring you
some tea."

"I'm dry. I'm warm," said Meta, tossing off her plumy hat, as she
established herself, with her feet on the fender. "But where do you
think I have been? You have so much to hear. But first--three guesses
where we were in the rain!"

"In the Stoneborough Cloisters, that you wanted to see? My dear, you did
not keep your papa in the cold there?"

"No, no; we never got there at all; guess again."

"At Mr. Edward Wilmot's?"

"No!"

"Could it have been at Dr. May's? Really, then, you must tell me."

"There! you deserve a good long story; beginning at the beginning," said
Meta, clapping her hands, "wasn't it curious? as we were coming up the
last hill, we met some girls in deep mourning, with a lady who looked
like their governess. I wondered whether they could be Dr. May's
daughters, and so it turned out they were.

"Presently there began to fall little square lumps, neither hail, nor
snow, nor rain; it grew very cold, and rain came on. It would have been
great fun, if I had not been afraid papa would catch cold, and he said
we would canter on to the inn. But, luckily, there was Dr. May walking
up the street, and he begged us to come into his house. I was so glad!
We were tolerably wet, and Dr. May said something about hoping the girls
were at home; well, when he opened the drawing-room door, there was the
poor daughter lying on the sofa."

"Poor girl! tell me of her."

"Oh! you must go and see her; you won't look at her without losing your
heart. Papa liked her so much--see if he does not talk of her all the
evening. She looks the picture of goodness and sweetness. Only think
of her having some of the maidenhair and cape jessamine still in water,
that we sent her so long ago. She shall have some flowers every three
days. Well, Dr. May said, 'There is one at least, that is sure to be
at home.' She felt my habit, and said I must go and change it, and
she called to a little thing of six, telling her to show me the way to
Flora. She smiled, and said she wished she could go herself, but Flora
would take care of me. Little Blanche came and took hold of my hand,
chattering away, up we went, up two staircases, and at the top of the
last