"And you, mistress," he said, "what will you do now? Have you no aunt or friend—"
"Mistress Alice Babington once said she would come and live with me—if … when I needed it. I shall write to her. I do not know what else to do."
"And you will live here?"
"Why; more than ever!" she said, smiling suddenly. "I can work in earnest now."
CHAPTER VI
I
It was on a bright evening in the summer that Marjorie, with her maid Janet, came riding down to Padley, and about the same time a young man came walking up the track that led from Derby. In fact, the young man saw the two against the skyline and wondered who they were. Further, there was a group of four or five walking on the terrace below the house, that saw both the approaching parties, and commented upon their coming.
To be precise, there were four persons in the group on the terrace, and a man-servant who hung near. The four were Mr. John FitzHerbert, his son Thomas, his son's wife, and, in the midst, leaning on Mrs. FitzHerbert's arm, was old Sir Thomas himself, and it was for his sake that the servant was within call, for he was still very sickly after his long imprisonment, in spite of his occasional releases.
Mr. John saw the visitors first.
"Why, here is the company all arrived together," he said. "Now, if anything hung on that—" his son broke in, uneasily.