WHERE?
MRS. ELLIOT sat for some time after her little party had left her, thinking of many things, and when she began to feel lonely she made her way down to the cottage, which was about half-way to the shore.
The woman was busy preparing their tea, which had been ordered when they left the pony there in the morning, and Mrs. Elliot therefore sat down on the bench outside the door and opened the book she had brought.
When she looked up, after an hour or more, she felt astonished that the young people had not returned.
She went into the old-fashioned kitchen, and found the woman setting the cream and butter upon the table.
"They are late, Mrs. Mansbridge," said Mrs. Elliot; "but they will soon be here, I expect. What a pleasant room this is."
"Yes, ma'am; but since my man left me, it has not seemed the same."
"I can well believe that," answered Mrs. Elliot. "Is it long since you lost him?"
"Six months," answered the woman; "and he left me with a day-old baby."
"Oh, how very sad for you."