rt her to her journey's end. The almost childish delight that
Margaret felt at the thought of the actual journey itself was somewhat
damped by the news that Mrs. Parkes was to accompany her. For her
grandfather's estimable cook and housekeeper was a grim old woman who
ruled the maids with a rod of iron, and who, even in the days of her
childhood, had never had a kind look or a smile for Margaret. That,
however, in Mr. Anstruther's opinion, had added to her recommendations,
for it had been one of his rules that his granddaughter should have
nothing whatever to say to any of his servants. But though the news
that Mrs. Parkes was to be her escort lessened the pleasure that she was
feeling at the thought of the long railway journey that lay before her,
it could not by any means wholly destroy it. After all, they could sit at
opposite ends of the carriage, and Margaret knew that, except when they
changed trains, which they had to do once, she would be tolerably certain
to forget Mrs. Parkes' presence altogether.

As soon as she had heard where she was to go, Margaret looked her
destination up on the map. But Windy Gap was too small a place to be
marked. Chailfield, however, was the nearest station, and that was on the
map, as was also Seabourne. The latter place was a large and fashionable
watering town renowned for its schools, in one of which Miss Bidwell had
been a governess for some years. Many were the dictations in English,
French, and German, descriptive of the town and the surrounding downs
which Margaret had written, and it was strange to think that she was now
about to see these places for herself.

The few days that intervened between the Thursday on which she had heard
that she was to go away and the following Tuesday could not pass too
quickly for Margaret, and when Monday dawned and the actual packing of
her trunk could begin, she was in a high, though carefully repressed
state of excitement. Lizzie, the housemaid, who had been getting her
clothes ready during the last few days, fully sympathised with the eager
impatience which Margaret showed that everything should be ready in time.

"For if I had had the dull time that Miss Margaret has had ever since
Miss Bidwell went away, not that she was very gay company, I should be
off my head with joy too."

"Is Miss Margaret off her head with joy, then?" said the kitchen-maid, to
whom the remark had been addressed.

"Well, in a quiet way of her own she is," said L