I blessed and thanked them every one, what a heart I had!

And when the two Miss Donnys grieved as much to part with me as

the least among them, and when the maids said, Bless you, miss, ‟

wherever you go!” and when the ugly lame old gardener, who I thought

had hardly noticed me in all those years, came panting after the coach to

give me a little nosegay of geraniums and told me I had been the light of

his eyes—indeed the old man said so!—what a heart I had then!

And could I help it if with all this, and the coming to the little school,

and the unexpected sight of the poor children outside waving their hats

and bonnets to me, and of a grey-haired gentleman and lady whose

daughter I had helped to teach and at whose house I had visited (who

were said to be the proudest people in all that country), caring for

nothing but calling out, Good-bye, Esther. May you be very happy!”— ‟

could I help it if I was quite bowed down in the coach by myself and said

‟Oh, I am so thankful, I am so thankful!” many times over!

But of course I soon considered that I must not take tears where I was

going after all that had been done for me. Therefore, of course, I made

myself sob less and persuaded myself to be quiet by saying very often,

‟Esther, now you really must! This will not do!” I cheered myself up

pretty well at last, though I am afraid I was longer about it than I ought

to have been; and when I had cooled my eyes with lavender water, it was

time to watch for London.

I was quite persuaded that we were there when we were ten miles off,

and when we really were there, that we should never get there. However,

when we began to jolt upon a stone pavement, and particularly when

every other conveyance seemed to be running into us, and we seemed to

be running into every other conveyance, I began to believe that we really

were approaching the end of our journey. Very soon afterwards we

stopped.

A young gentleman who had inked himself by accident addressed me

from the pavement and said, I am from Kenge and Carboy’s, miss, ofAnd when the two Miss Donnys grieved as much to part with me as

the least among them, and when the maids said, Bless you, miss, ‟

wherever you go!” and when the ugly lame old gardener, who I thought

had hardly noticed me in all those years, came panting after the coach to

give me a little nosegay of geraniums and told me I had been the light of

his eyes—indeed the old man said so!—what a heart I had then!

And could I help it if with all this, and the coming to the little school,

and the unexpected sight of the poor children outside waving their hats

and bonnets to me, and of a grey-haired gentleman and lady whose

daughter I had helped to teach and at whose house I had visited (who

were said to be the proudest people in all that country), caring for

nothing but calling out, Good-bye, Esther. May you be very happy!”— ‟

could I help it if I was quite bowed down in the coach by myself and said

‟Oh, I am so thankful, I am so thankful!” many times over!

But of course I soon considered that I must not take tears where I was

going after all that had been done for me. Therefore, of course, I made

myself sob less and persuaded myself to be quiet by saying very often,

‟Esther, now you really must! This will not do!” I cheered myself up

pretty well at last, though I am afraid I was longer about it than I ought

to have been; and when I had cooled my eyes with lavender water, it was

time to watch for London.

I was quite persuaded that we were there when we were ten miles off,

and when we really were there, that we should never get there. However,

when we began to jolt upon a stone pavement, and particularly when

every other conveyance seemed to be running into us, and we seemed to

be running into every other conveyance, I began to believe that we really

were approaching the end of our journey. Very soon afterwards we

stopped.

A young gentleman who had inked himself by accident addressed me

from the pavement and said, I am from Kenge and Carboy’s, miss, of