“Yes, and they say that she walks about every night,” said Rose.
“Then I don’t believe she was really drowned,” said Philip.
“Oh, Phil,” said Lillie, laughing at his sober face, “it happened a hundred or a thousand years ago, or maybe a million,—I’m sure I don’t know how long.”
“And, oh, won’t Marion envy us if we do go!” said Rose, as if exciting her sister’s envy was a large part of the anticipated pleasure.
“Does Lord Ashden live in that big house all by himself?” asked Philip, as he and his cousin Lillie went out to look at the rabbits after supper.
“Oh, yes, it is so sad,” answered Lillie; “haven’t you heard?” And as Philip shook his head, she went on, lowering her voice: “Once Mr. Ashden was married, you know, to the most be-a-u-tiful young lady. Marion saw her once, and she says she was like an angel. Everybody loved her, and her husband, they say, adored her. Well, when they had been married only a year, she was thrown from her horse and killed. Wasn’t it dreadful? They say the poor thing has been quite a changed man from that day; and then his father, Lord Ashden, died last year, and so now he is quite alone in the world. He has been travelling on the Continent since last summer, but now he has come back and opened the place, because he knows it would have distressed his father to have it neglected.”
“Poor Lord Ashden!” said Philip gently. “I think I know a little how sad and lonely he feels.” And Lillie, knowing that her cousin was thinking of his mother, gave his hand a sympathetic squeeze.
“Dear Lillie,” said Philip, “I wish everybody was as kind and gentle as you are; and indeed everybody here has been so good to me, sometimes I wonder what I should have done when my mother died if God had not sent me here—and perhaps poor Lord Ashden may find somebody to comfort him in just the same way.”
The children were silent after that, and as they were going to bed, Lillie whispered to her cousin: “I say, Philip, you and I will pray that God will send somebody to comfort Lord Ashden.” And pray they did, and the next day their prayer was answered in quite a wonderful way, as we shall see.