time
I was at Princetown I walked there and back." So they had called at
the Stag and Antlers, and Mrs. Crocket had told them her mind upon
several matters.

"What a dear old woman!" said Nora, as they came away, having made
their bargain for the open carriage.

"I think she takes quite enough upon herself, you know," said Mrs.
Trevelyan.

"She is a dear old woman," said Priscilla, not attending at all to
the last words that had been spoken. "She is one of the best friends
I have in the world. If I were to say the best out of my own family,
perhaps I should not be wrong."

"But she uses such very odd language for a woman," said Mrs.
Trevelyan. Now Mrs. Crocket had certainly "dratted" and "darned" the
boy, who wouldn't come as fast as she had wished, and had laughed
at Mrs. Trevelyan very contemptuously, when that lady had suggested
that the urchin, who was at last brought forth, might not be a safe
charioteer down some of the hills.

"I suppose I'm used to it," said Priscilla. "At any rate I know I
like it. And I like her."

"I dare say she's a good sort of woman," said Mrs. Trevelyan,
"only--"

"I am not saying anything about her being a good woman now," said
Priscilla, interrupting the other with some vehemence, "but only that
she is my friend."

"I liked her of all things," said Nora. "Has she lived here always?"

"Yes; all her life. The house belonged to her father and to her
grandfather before her, and I think she says she has never slept
out of it a dozen times in her life. Her husband is dead, and her
daughters are married away, and she has the great grief and trouble
of a ne'er-do-well son. He's away now, and she's all alone." Then
after a pause, she continued; "I dare say it seems odd to you, Mrs.
Trevelyan, that we should speak of the innkeeper as a dear friend;
but you must remember that we have been poor among the poorest--and
are so indeed now. We only came into our present house to receive
you. That is where we used to live," and she pointed to the tiny
cottage, which now that it was dismantled and desolate, looked to be
doubly poor. "There have been times when we should have gone to bed
very hungry if it had not been for Mrs. Crocket."

Later in the day Mrs. Trevelyan, finding Priscilla alone, had
apologized for what she had said about the old woman. "I was very
thoughtless and forgetful, but I hope you will not be angry with me.
I will be ever so fond of her if you will forgive me."

"V