Love's bitterest cup

by Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth

There was old Tom Grandiere—as the master of Oldfield was beginning to be called—with an ox cart to carry his tribe of sons and daughters home.

There was William Elk, with an old barouche which he had brought to meet his niece.

There was Miss Sibby Bayard in her mule cart, come to fetch Roland.

Lastly, there was Mrs. Anglesea, in the capacious break, driven by Jacob, come to fetch the whole Force family home from the station to Mondreer.

And there were such hearty, cordial greetings as are seldom heard in this world.

“Welcome home, neighbors!”

“We have missed you!”

“Thank Heaven you have come back!”

And so on and so on! All speaking at once, so that it was difficult to tell who said what, or to reply distinctly to anything.

Yet the Forces all responded in the most cordial manner to these effusive greetings, in which Mrs. Force and Odalite detected an undertone of sadness and sympathy which both mother and daughter understood too well.