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gin.;
< were happy IIMCS for
Catherine. K.irh morni !?;irl>:ira 11;
i-ting at thi> Huly fc
i \'. In) Lave long been depris d
aie watchfulness over Lady Margaret's daughter. She also
found scope to exercise her charity in consoling and encouraging
Adeliua; for the poor lady was in painful uncertainty conceniing
her husband, and regretted her lengthened absence from
Kngland, and more than once during the six days she spent at
Rouen she had almost determined to return to London without
prosecuting inquiries for Sir Reginald, which appeared fruitless;
and in these moments of despair Catherine was like an angel of
hope at her side.
On the seventh day after their arrival, their perseverance received
an unexpected reward. The weather had become in
-ely cold, and the flakes of snow, which for upwards of an
hour had been falling at intervals from the gray ana threatening
sky, betokened an early and a severe winter. Lady Adelina sat
shivering by the fire; her little niece stood at the window watching
the peasants who hurried by heedless of the inclement weather;
their wooden shoes ringing loudly on the hard ground attracted
the wondering attention of the English child.
A noise in the courtyard, the high-pitched tones of the landlady,
and the louder but deeper voice of a man, made Barbara
turn from the window and look towards the door. In another
moment it was thrown violently open; a sweep of cold air blew
iuto the room, the entrance of which was immediately on the
court.
'
O, how cold
door.'
it is!' exclaimed Adelina. 'Pray
A man wrapt in a large cloak, from which he shook the snow-
77.' TO 77.V>y.
shut the
flakes as he crossed the room, advanced with rapid strides
towards the fireplace, the landlady following close behind.
'
Here," she criud in an excited voice, 'here is all madame
wauls; fie will tell you all; he is monsieur's servant.'
'
Sure, Mistress Catherine, is that
'
yourself? exclaimed the
new-comer; and then, seeing the astonishment which his sudden
appearance caused Adelina, he added, in a more subdued tone,
'
I beg your ladyship's pardon, but it is searching the country
through for Catherine Tresi/.e and the master's little daughter
I've been these six mouths past, and there they are, glory be to
( ;< id ' This is a happy day, and I not expecting it at all, but corn-
in;"; home quite downcast.'
While the good man stopped to take breath after this speech,
Catherine explained to Lady Adelina, who had not yet recovered
from the bewilderment into which this unexpected arrival had
thrown her, that the person before them was a servant of Sir Reginald,
whom she had frequently seen at the Manor-house. 'And
Larry O'Toole,' she added, '
will be able to tell us where his
masl.er now resides.'
'
'
That I can,' replied Larry. Ah, the Lady Barbara does not
remember me, nor how I used to carry her in my arms when the
mistress may peace he with her soul! went to the farmhouse.
the town, and Sir Reginald, wh"
gantly. went to gee the priest who lives at the great eliurc!
IT kind his re\
tleman who lives in what them calls a "chateau." Well, my
In ly, Master Austin was much u ith the family of the " chateau,''
i a happine.-s.
Although Lady Adelina had appointed one of the two maids
who traveled with tiicni to wait on her niece.-, Catherine could
not bear to relinquish her post, nor would Barbara have \\Plingly
exchanged the devoted care of her till, sure, he leal nl to speak like a native; and he and Sir Reginald
would have In en happy enough if the death of the mi
and the loss of Lady Barbara had not oftentimes made them
young guardian for the sad. About a year ago the son of the French gentleman was
formal services of a maid; so the former continual her alTcction- going off to the army, and Master Austin said he would like to
go also; the end of it was that they both went together to serve
the French King against somebody else.'
'
'
Well, and where is Sir Reginald? inquired Adelina.
'That's the very thing I was after telling your ladyship. The
poor gentleman felt terribly lonesome entirely when the young
master was gone, so he thought to move elsewhere; It's to the
town of Evreux we went, and Sir Reginald is there still. One
day after our arriving, "Larry," says he to me, " I am thinking
of going to England; I have now been absent four years; surely
1 am forgotten, and could safely pass through the country, iind
make an effort myself to find my little daughter." "No. "says
I, "begging your honors pardon, it is /c^safe toT yotltogO; hut,
with your leave, I will go, and try to discover the child, and
bring her to you." Well, my lady,
master let me start.
'
the end of it was that the
I have been to the Land's End, and seen the old Manor all in
ruins; a sad sight it was, sure! Then to Exeter I went, and learnt
that good Mother Bridget the Lord have mercy on her soul !
had died of the plague, and that you, Mistress Catherine, had
gone to London town ; so back went I and searched the city;
but 'tis very large entirely, as yourself knows, and mighty hard
for a poor creature to find any one in it, though there is a power
of people in the streets. Many is the weary day I've speii
I left his honor; but, sure, what matters past storms when a
man is sailing into harbor? '
CHAPTER XXIII.
Sxow snow lying deep on the roads; snow crowning every
hill and house-top, and clinging to every tree, and worse than
all, blinding snow-flakes drifting rapidly along; such was the
cheerless scene through which our travelers were passing a few
days after the unexpected arrival of Larry O'Toole at Rouen.
The lumbering wagon which conveyed them had toiled through
the snow for upwards of two hours, since they had left the last
village where the party had stopped to change horses. Urged
by the postillions the tired animals si niggled slowty on; more
than once the clumsy vehicle threatened to fall over, its wheels
sinking in the deep ruts, over which the snow had cast a treacherous
covering, and on such occasions much time was lost, while
considerable efforts were needed to extricate them.
'
It's buried alive in the snow we will be! '
muttered Larry, as
he helped to raise one of the horses which had slipped. The
Irishman's fears seemed likely enough to be realized, for at that
moment a desperate plunge made by the frightened horse threw
the wagon on its side. The screams of the women inside, the
shouts of the postillions, the struggles of the horses, added to
the confusion and alarm. One of the men had received some
;n: was wont to do.'
Barbara neither remembered the faithful servant nor the
to which he alluded; indeed, all reminiscences of her life
previous to her removal from the Manor seemed completely obliterated
from the child's memory.
'
So you are Sir Reginald's servant,' said Lady Adelina, ad-
'
dressing Larry. This is a good fortune for which I was
wholly unprepared. I am his sister-in-law, and have undertaken
this journey to restore to him his long-lost daughter.
Fray tell us how you chance to lie here. Is your master
'
.iig?
No, my lady, not he; slight injury on being
but after he came to this country, he
and Master Austin settled in a queer sort of a house just outside
thrown to the ground. The travelers
were extricated with much difficulty from their perilous situation,
and happily they were more frightened than hurt.
After fruitless efforts to right the carriage, one of the postillions
made Larry understand that he would try to find his way
to the next; town, and there obtain assistance.
Unharnessing one of the horses, he mounted and rode away.
Gloomy indeed was the situation of Lady Adelina and her party.
The servants had succeeded in d ut some of
and furs belonging to the travelers; wrapped in
walked up and down, afraid to rest lest the cold should benumb
their limbs and the feeling of drowsiness which oppressed them
be changed into the sleep of death.