"I cannot; you know I cannot. What will become of Aunt Patience?" she said.
He laughed. "I think that will settle itself, Agnes," he answered. "Don't run away, little one." And he took both her hands in his.
"Have you seen nothing?"
"Seen! What should I have seen?" said Agnes.
"Well, then, wait awhile and you will see," said Reginald. "In the meantime, you love me and I love you; so you must be my wife, and the king will knight me, and we will go and live in the place I love best in the world, De Lisle Abbey."
"Then Aunt Patience must come too," she said. "She cannot stay here alone."
She did not know that Aunt Patience had come back until she felt her arms round her, and heard the voice she loved so well say:
"I shall not hinder you, my darling. Did you not yourself say it would be a good thing if the vicarage and the farm were one dwelling-place?"
"Yes, I did," answered Agnes, "because we are all such good friends."
"Just so," said Patience. "But as the vicarage is too small for us all, Mr. Ewan and myself have settled that he and Jessie shall live up here with me after you are married."