At this moment, happily for Toney's spirits, a fly drove up and she flew to receive her first visitors. Maud was there looking quite transformed from the discontented girl she had been into a woman with a purpose.
"Here we are, Toney, and Mrs. and Miss Phipps are very cold and tired after their journey."
Then all Toney's sadness flew away like a bird of evil omen, and she was once more the joyous creature that scattered delight about her. Mary Thomas was helping the ladies as if they were princesses, and Thomas was dealing with their boxes, and Mrs. Thomas was saying that tea was ready in the dining-room. Mrs. Phipps was a bustling, kind old lady devoted to her nearly blind daughter and telling her how beautiful everything was, and Miss Phipps was as cheerful as possible, talking and praising everything.
"The work will be quite easy," said Toney, "and Miss Hamilton will look in every day to help you, and there are four spare rooms for anyone who wants to come and have a real good time, and you will make them very happy I know, and Mary is just a treasure."
So the party sat down to tea, and they made Mrs. Phipps take the head of the table because this was her home now, and she was to entertain everybody who came, and she looked quite capable of it, and already vastly proud of her position. And yet a month ago the workhouse had been staring them in the face, because all their little savings had gone. But they did not feel like paupers here, they were to work hard so as to make less fortunate folks as happy as they were.
At last Toney rose and said good-bye, and Mrs. Phipps murmured some very grateful words, but Miss Phipps just took Toney's hand and kissed it, and Toney felt a tear on her hand, so she ran away, quickly followed by Maud.
They were going down by the lane across to Waycott Hall, and for a few minutes they were silent, then Toney exclaimed,
"Gracious stars! Maud, aren't my Poverelli just ready-made saints, and it's so dreadful their thanking me, and I can't explain to them exactly how it's really nothing to do with me, but with General Stone, and really also Mr. Waycott, who let me have all this land and this lovely farm, and you too for helping me. Do you know it's so awfully nice you two being sort of bound up together in a work."
"We two?"
"Yes, you know, you and—your cousin."