"And do not tell her anything by the way, if you please. Only say a gentleman wants to see her."
Mrs. Forsyth nodded assent, and hurried off, her silent nature for once aroused to excitement. Leveson waited with all the patience he could muster, till Esther reappeared with a slight child, in ill-mended rags, following after her. But the little face that looked up shyly into his—Leveson did not wonder at his mother's instant recognition, so marvellous was the resemblance in feature and expression, not only to the lost infant of five years earlier, but to Mrs. Therlock herself.
Very tenderly, he lifted her upon his knee, for he was anxious not to startle the little one, and in his gentlest voice he said, "You don't know who I am, do you, Lettie?"
"Mother telled me a parson was come," said Lettie's shy deliberate tones.
"What do you think the parson has come for?"
"Dunno," whispered Lettie.
"Lettie, you are very fond of Mrs. Forsyth, are you not?"
Lettie nodded, and corrected him with the word "Mother."
"But she's not your own real mother, you know."
"Yes, she be," said Lettie unexpectedly.