"It may not be so bad as you think for, Sarah," said her mother; but she secretly sympathized with her daughter.
"I wish Squire Hudson had to live there himself," said Walter, in an angry outburst.
Usually Walter was checked by his father when uttering such speeches; but to-night Mark Nelson took no notice of his son's angry remark. He felt that it would only be a righteous retribution upon the squire for his cold selfishness.
While they were sitting in the plain room endeared to them by the association of years, a sound of wheels was heard, and the village stage stopped before the door.
"Who can it be?" said Sarah, wonderingly.
The whole family hurried to the window. What youthful, yet manly figure, was that actively descending from his perch beside the driver?
"It's Tom!" exclaimed Mrs. Nelson. "Heaven be praised! It is my dear boy."
Tom was almost suffocated by the embraces which he received on entering the house.
"How you have grown, Tom!" said Sarah. "And how well you look!"
"Thank you for the compliment," said Tom, laughing. "But I don't feel well."