such a long neglect. She wondered what
Mademoiselle was thinking of her. She was hurt that no message was sent
by Penelope, yet relieved that Mademoiselle was keeping her secret;
she often dreaded what Cousin Charlotte would think of her if she should
discover her deceit, for she had often and often gone out pretending she
was bound for Edless, and had even said, in answer to her inquiries for
Mademoiselle, that she was 'about the same,' or something to that effect,
though she really had no knowledge at all, and the deception made her
conduct trebly bad. She was angry that all this misery should have come
and spoilt her happy life, jealous that Penelope should be able to go off
with such an honest, light heart and smiling face; and blamed every one
but herself.

Before Penelope was more than out of sight, on this particular tragic day,
Cousin Charlotte came into Esther's bedroom, looking alarmed and bothered.

"Esther dear," she said, "I wish you would go to Edless to-day and home
again with Penelope, and take Guard with you. If you are quick you can
overtake her. She has gone quite alone, and I am anxious. Ephraim told
Anna that a lot of the cattle have wandered to this part of the moor, and
are in a very wild state. I shall be afraid for you children to go on the
moor at all if they stay in this neighbourhood. I wish Anna had spoken
about it before Penelope started; I would have sent Ephraim with her or
not have let her go. Do you mind going, dear?"

"Oh no," said Esther, but very coldly.

"You will be quite safe with Guard, even if they do come near.
He will drive the creatures off," said Cousin Charlotte, thinking Esther
was nervous. "Penelope ought to have taken him. I should not have been
anxious about her if she had."

But Esther had none of that sort of fear. "Oh, I am not afraid," she said
more heartily, and went away to put on her hat. But when she was actually
on her way to Edless she felt she could not go there; she could not obey
Miss Charlotte and hurry after Penelope until she overtook her, and then
escort her to the very door. In those days she could rarely bring herself
to talk to Penelope at all, so far had her feelings got the mastery over
her, and so deeply did her grievance rankle; and the farther she went the
less able did she feel to do so now.

"If I keep her in sight it will be all right," she said, with sudden
inspiration; and so they went all the way, the unconscious Penelo