, roused her 'parson's man'
from tea in his cottage, and ordered him off to take Betty Reynolds
to see her daughter without loss of time.

Then at length she opened her own gate and walked in at the drawing-
room window. Terry started up from the sofa, and Anne from a chair
by his side, exclaiming at her appearance, and asking if there had
been any accident.

"Not to any of us, but to a poor woman whom I have been taking to
the Infirmary," she said, sinking into a low chair. "Where's
Julius?"

"He went to see old George Willett," said Anne. "The poor old man
has just heard of the death of his daughter at Wil'sbro'."

"And you came to sit with this boy, you good creature. How are you,
master?"

"Oh, better, thanks," he said, with a weary stretch. "How done up
you look, Rose! How did you come?"

"I walked from Wil'sbro'."

"Walked!" echoed both her hearers.

"Walked! I liked my two legs better than the four of the horse that
brought me there, though 'twasn't his fault, poor beast, but the
brute of a driver, whom we'll have up before the magistrate. I've
got the name; doing his best to dislocate every bone in the poor
thing's body. Well, and I hope baby didn't disturb you?"

"Baby has been wonderfully quiet. Julius went to see after her
once, but she was out."

"I'll go and see the young woman, and then come and tell my story."

But Rosamond came back almost instantly, exclaiming, "Emma must have
taken the baby to the Hall. I wish she would be more careful. The
sun is getting low, and there's a fog rising."

"She had not been there when I came down an hour ago," said Anne;
"at least, not with Mrs. Poynsett. They may have had her in the
housekeeper's room. I had better go and hasten her home."

Julius came in shortly after, but before he had heard the tale of
Fanny Reynolds, Anne had returned to say that neither child nor
nurse had been at the Hall, nor passed the large gate that morning.
It was growing rather alarming. The other servants said Emma had
taken the baby out as usual in the morning, but had not returned to
dinner, and they too had supposed her at the Hall. None of the
dependants of the Hall in the cottages round knew anything of her,
but at last Dilemma Hornblower imparted that she had seen my lady's
baby's green cloak atop of a tax-cart going towards Wil'sbro'.

Now Emma had undesirable relations, and Rosamond had taken her in
spite of warning that her uncle was the keeper of