t black horses, and a
footman with a bag standing on the platform. In another moment Mrs.
Alwynn, followed by the footman, made a dart at Ruth's carriage, jumped
in, seized the bag, repeated voluble thanks, pressed half her gayly
dressed person out again through the window to ascertain that her boxes
were put in the van, caught her veil in the ventilator as the train
started, and finally precipitated herself into a seat on her bag, as the
motion destroyed her equilibrium.

"Well, Aunt Fanny!" said Ruth.

"Why, goodness gracious, my dear, if it isn't you! And, now I think of
it, you were to come home to-day. Well, how oddly things fall out, to be
sure, me getting into your carriage like that. And you'll never guess,
Ruth, though for that matter there's nothing so very astonishing about
it, as I told Mrs. Thursby, you'll never guess where _I've_ been
visiting."

Ruth remembered seeing the Danvers omnibus at the station, and suddenly
remembered, too, a certain request which she had once made of Charles.

"Where can it have been?" she said, with a great show of curiosity.

"You will never guess," said Mrs. Alwynn, in high glee. "I shall have to
help you. You remember my sprained ankle? There! Now I have as good as
told you."

But Ruth would not spoil her aunt's pleasure; and after numerous
guesses, Mrs. Alwynn had the delight of taking her completely by
surprise, when at last she leaned forward and said, with a rustle of
pride, emphasizing each word with a pat on Ruth's knee:

"I've been to Stoke Moreton."

"How delightful!" ejaculated Ruth. "How astonished I am! Stoke Moreton!"

"You may well say that," said Mrs. Alwynn, nodding to her. "Mrs. Thursby
would not believe it at first, and afterwards she said she was afraid
there would not be any party; but there was, Ruth. There was a married
couple, very nice people, of the name of Reynolds. I dare say, being
London people, you may have known them. She had quite the London look
about her, though not dressed low of an evening; and he was a clergyman,
who had overworked himself, and had come down to Stoke Moreton to rest,
and had soup at luncheon. And there was another person besides, a
Colonel Middleton, a very clever man, who wrote a book that was printed,
and had been in India, and was altogether most superior. We were three
gentlemen and two ladies, but we had ices each night, Ruth, two kinds of
ices; and the second night I wore my ruby satin, and the clergyman at