d he set off at full gallop, to call the rest of the J.R.'s
together, and tell them young master was come home at last.

But bless your heart, and my own as well, it would take me all the
afternoon to lay before you one-tenth of the things which came home to
me in that one half-hour, as the sun was sinking, in the real way he
ought to sink. I touched my horse with no spur nor whip, feeling that my
slow wits would go, if the sights came too fast over them. Here was
the pool where we washed the sheep, and there was the hollow that oozed
away, where I had shot three wild ducks. Here was the peat-rick that hid
my dinner, when I could not go home for it, and there was the bush with
the thyme growing round it, where Annie had found a great swarm of our
bees. And now was the corner of the dry stone wall, where the moor gave
over in earnest, and the partridges whisked from it into the corn lands,
and called that their supper was ready, and looked at our house and the
ricks as they ran, and would wait for that comfort till winter.

And there I saw--but let me go--Annie was too much for me. She nearly
pulled me off my horse, and kissed the very mouth of the carbine.

'I knew you would come. Oh John! Oh John! I have waited here every
Saturday night; and I saw you for the last mile or more, but I would not
come round the corner, for fear that I should cry, John, and then not
cry when I got you. Now I may cry as much as I like, and you need
not try to stop me, John, because I am so happy. But you mustn't cry
yourself, John; what will mother think of you? She will be so jealous of
me.'

What mother thought I cannot tell; and indeed I doubt if she thought at
all for more than half an hour, but only managed to hold me tight, and
cry, and thank God now and then, but with some fear of His taking me,
if she should be too grateful. Moreover she thought it was my own
doing, and I ought to have the credit of it, and she even came down very
sharply upon John's wife, Mrs. Fry, for saying that we must not be too
proud, for all of it was the Lord's doing. However, dear mother was
ashamed of that afterwards, and asked Mrs. Fry's humble pardon; and
perhaps I ought not to have mentioned it.

Old Smiler had told them that I was coming--all the rest, I mean, except
Annie--for having escaped from his halter-ring, he was come out to graze
in the lane a bit; when what should he see but a strange horse coming
with young master and mistress upon him,