He had
never read of the angels, and scarcely knew that there were such beings;
but he felt as if this fair and sweet-looking lady, with her gentle
voice, and the kindly eyes meeting his own, was altogether of a different
order to themselves.
'I am Mr. Wyley's niece,' she added, 'and I am come to live at Botfield
for a while. Could you manage to come down to Mr. Wyley's house sometimes
for a lesson?'
'Please, ma'am,' said Martha, who was not at all afraid of speaking to
any lady, though she dare not face the master, 'he wants to turn us out
of our house; and he hates Stephen, because he won't give it up: so he
wouldn't let you teach him anything.'
'Then you are Stephen Fern?' said the lady; 'I heard my uncle talking
about you. Your father was buried at Longville church on Sunday. I saw
the funeral leave the churchyard, and I looked for some of you to come in
to the evening service. Now, Stephen, do you tell me all about your
reason for not letting my uncle buy your cottage.'
Then Stephen, with some hesitation, and a good deal of assistance from
Martha, told the whole history of his grandmother's settlement upon the
solitary hillside, only withholding the fact of his grandfather's
transportation, because Tim was listening eagerly to every word.
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