"Ah, and your father too, Miss, if he deserved to be called so, who could leave you as he did."
Anna sighed. "I wonder where he is," said she, not expecting the old man could inform her.
"Why some do say that he went for a sailor," returned he, "but I did hear a little while ago that some one see'd a man that had seen him about a twelvemonth before."
"You don't say so," returned Anna, with eagerness, half afraid yet anxious to hear more: "Who was it, and where was he?"
"Why I don't know for the truth of it, Miss," said he, "nor whereabouts it was he see'd him, but I thinks it was somewhere beyond sea; but it was at farmer Ward's my daughter heard it, and the reason, Ma'am, she h'an't been to school this week, is, she has been there, while their girl was gone home to see her mother."
"At farmer Ward's?" replied Anna, "I thought they would have had some of their own labourer's daughters."
"And so should I, Miss, but somehow Nancy Ward has taken a great fancy to my girl, so I let her go, as 'twas but for a little while; but I hopes to get her into your aunt's, Miss, when she wants a girl, and if you would be so good as to speak for her it would be doing a great kindness; she is very handy, and knows how to do a great many things. But here she comes, and Nancy Ward with her, I declare." Anna looked out and saw them coming towards the little wicket, she therefore would not leave the house till they entered it; and as it was at farmer Ward's that something had been heard of her father, she thought she might hear more of it from Nancy, whom, though she had not seen for some months, yet as children they were often together; but she was not aware of the difference Mrs. Meridith's late kindness to her uncles had made in her behaviour, as well as in that of her father.
"How do you do, Nancy?" said she, "I hope you are well? You are much grown since I saw you."
"And so are you, Miss," replied Nancy, with a saucy air; "and all your family I think,—the farmer Campbells are quite gentlemen now, and Miss Meridith, or Miss Campbell, or Miss Eastwood, or whatever name I may call you by, is quite a fine lady."