the child come here, Miss Chester?" she asked at once.

"Well, of course," replied Aunt Katharine, inwardly rejoiced at her
success, "if you don't mind the trouble--"

No trouble at all, Mrs Solace declared, with her large beaming smile.
There would be new milk for her, and fresh air, and the garden to sit
in, and the beasts to amuse her; and she'd be better off than anywhere
in the village. As to Andrew--certainly there had been a time when
Andrew wouldn't have wished to encourage the Tuvvys, but that was over
and done with. Tuvvy was as steady as you please now, and a valuable
workman, and they'd be pleased to do anything for his child. Before
Aunt Katharine left, the very hour and day of Becky's arrival were
fixed. She was to come back in one of Mr Solace's wagons, which had to
carry a load to Upwell station.

"She'll travel easiest so," said Mrs Solace, "because she can lie flat;
and there's a tilt to the cart, so she'll be well shaded from the sun."

In this way, a few days later, Becky performed the journey between
Upwell and Fieldside, not without a little fear and trembling at going
so far into the wide world. When the moment came, it was hard to leave
the dim room, the uneasy couch, the things she knew so well; and the
look of the bright sunshine outside dazzled her unaccustomed eyes and
made her blink. She had, however, two great comforts. Dan had begged a
day's holiday that he might see her safely to the Manor Farm, and Mrs
Solace had invited the grey kitten to come also. With these two friends
to support her, Becky felt some courage, and after all, although she did
not know Mr or Mrs Solace, there would be father at work quite near, and
visits from the children at Fieldside.

Mr Solace's big wagon seemed to fill Market Street. The four iron-grey
horses tossed all their gleaming brass medals with a jingling sound, as
they stamped impatiently at the flies and gnats.

"We'll not have a heavy load home along, anyway," said George the
carter, as he lifted Becky and her little bundle carefully on to the
mattress in the wagon, "and you'll ride like a queen."

When she was comfortably settled, with Dan by her side holding the
kitten in a hamper, the journey began. Not a hurried or discomposing
one, for the grey horses, knowing that there was plenty of time before
them, never changed their pace from a stately walk the whole way. So
the wagon rolled majestically along through the noisy streets, out i