Miss Leighton had now been nearly a fortnight at Higher Brimley, and had had several interviews with her little great-niece on the beach, and had walked with her along the sheep-track on the cliffs to look at the sea-pinks. But she had not yet taken tea with Mrs. Tiddy as had been suggested, and when, one sunshiny morning, Peggy arrived with an invitation for her to do so that afternoon, she accepted it immediately.
"Of course I will come," she replied, after Peggy—rosy with the exercise of walking—had delivered her message. "Please give my kind regards to Mrs. Tiddy and say I accept her invitation with pleasure. Did you walk here by yourself, child?"
"No," answered Peggy. She had been ushered into Miss Leighton's sitting-room by Ellen Barnes, who had been on an errand to the post office for her mistress and had overtaken the little girl on her way home. "I started to come alone," she said, "but I had not gone far before I heard some one calling to me. It was Barnes. So we walked on together. What a very nice woman she is, Aunt Caroline! We had such a long talk!"
"Humph!" exclaimed Miss Leighton, rather surprised. "And, pray, what did you find to talk about?"
"Oh, about things at home, first of all," was the somewhat vague response. "My home, of course I mean. I did not know till to-day that Barnes knew my mother."
The little girl had taken the chair which had been placed for her close to the open window by which Miss Leighton was sitting, and the bright spring sunshine fell full upon her face framed in its golden curls. Certainly she made a very pretty picture.
"I like Barnes," she proceeded in a tone of decision as her companion vouchsafed no response. "How very fortunate you are to have such a nice woman for your maid, Aunt Caroline!"
"I believe she is thoroughly trustworthy," Miss Leighton remarked, somewhat astonished at this expression of opinion, "and that is a great deal to be able to say of any one. Barnes has been with me many years. I pay her good wages and she is not overworked. I believe she values her situation."
"Oh, yes, I am sure she does!" Peggy agreed earnestly.
"How can you tell, child?" Miss Leighton asked, a slightly amused smile curving her lips.