."

"And the girls?"

"Oh! the girls--what girls? Well, they must answer for themselves; I
left them about half an hour ago, and now you hear their voices in
the porch."

He did hear the voices in the porch plainly, though he could not
distinguish them, as the horse's feet and the car wheels rattled over
the gravel. But as the car stopped at the door with somewhat of a
crash, he heard Emmeline say, "There's Herbert," and then as he got
down they all retreated in among the lights in the hall.

"God bless your honour, Sir Herbert. An' it's you that are welcome
back this blessed night to Castle Richmond." Such and such like
were the greetings which met him from twenty different voices as
he essayed to enter the house. Every servant and groom about the
place was there, and some few of the nearest tenants,--of those who
had lived near enough to hear the glad tidings since the morning.
A dozen, at any rate, took his hands as he strove to make his
way through them, and though he was never quite sure about it, he
believed that one or two had kissed him in the dark. At last he found
himself in the hall, and even then the first person who got hold of
him was Mrs. Jones.

"And so you've come back to us after all, Mr. Herbert--Sir Herbert
I should say, begging your pardon, sir; and it's all right about my
lady. I never thought to be so happy again, never--never--never." And
then she retreated with her apron up to her eyes, leaving him in the
arms of Aunt Letty.

"The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of
the Lord. Oh! Herbert, my darling boy. I hope this may be a lesson
and a warning to you, so that you may flee from the wrath to come."
Aunt Letty, had time been allowed to her, would certainly have
shown that the evil had all come from tampering with papistical
abominations; and that the returning prosperity of the house of
Castle Richmond was due to Protestant energy and truth. But much
time was not allowed to Aunt Letty, as Herbert hurried on after his
sisters.

As he had advanced they had retreated, and now he heard them in
the drawing-room. He began to be conscious that they were not
alone,--that they had some visitor with them, and began to be
conscious also who that visitor was. And when he got himself at last
into the room, sure enough there were three girls there, two running
forward to meet him from the fireplace to which they had retreated,
and the other lingering a little in their rear.