Jackson touched his hat, and promised obedience. Mr Norton led Mrs Jane into the house, desiring his butler, whose name was Pope, to look to her man, and to put Jenny in the care of Mrs Norton’s maid. Jenny, being unused to ride much on horseback, was sadly tired by her day’s journey, and very glad when bed-time came. She made one nap of her night’s rest, and was not very readily roused when, before it was fully light, a tap came on Mrs Jane’s door.
Mrs Jane sat up in bed, awake at once.
“Who is there? Come within,” she said.
The answer was the entrance of Ellice, Mrs Norton’s maid.
“I crave pardon for disturbing you thus early, madam, but my mistress hath sent me to say your man is took very sick of an ague, and ’twill not be possible for you to continue your journey to-day.”
“How? Was ever anything so unfortunate!” cried Mrs Jane. “Is he really very bad?”
“My master thinks, madam, he is not the least fit for a journey.”
Mrs Jane lay down again, with an exclamation of dismay.
“I do hope the young man is not weakly,” she said. “’Tis most annoying. I reckoned, entirely, on continuing my journey to-day. Well, there is no help, I suppose, though this news is welcome but as water into a ship. We must make a virtue of necessity. Come, Jenny, we’ll take another nap. May as well have what comfort we can.”
And, turning round, Mrs Jane went off to sleep again.