And so indeed it came to pass.  Even at this length of time, I can hardly tell it, although so bright before my mind, because it moves my heart so.  The sledd was at the open door, with only Lorna in it; for Gwenny Carfax had jumped out, and hung back in the clearing, giving any reason rather than the only true one—­that she would not be intruding.  At the door were all our people; first, of course, Betty Muxworthy, teaching me how to draw the sledd, as if she had been born in it, and flourishing with a great broom, wherever a speck of snow lay.  Then dear Annie, and old Molly (who was very quiet, and counted almost for nobody), and behind them, mother, looking as if she wanted to come first, but doubted how the manners lay.  In the distance Lizzie stood, fearful of encouraging, but unable to keep out of it.

Betty was going to poke her broom right in under the sealskin cloak, where Lorna lay unconscious, and where her precious breath hung frozen, like a silver cobweb; but I caught up Betty’s broom, and flung it clean away over the corn chamber; and then I put the others by, and fetched my mother forward.

“You shall see her first,” I said:  “is she not your daughter?  Hold the light there, Annie.”

Dear mother’s hands were quick and trembling, as she opened the shining folds; and there she saw my Lorna sleeping, with her black hair all dishevelled, and she bent and kissed her forehead, and only said, “God bless her, John!” And then she was taken with violent weeping, and I was forced to hold her.

“Us may tich of her now, I rackon,” said Betty in her most jealous way; “Annie, tak her by the head, and I’ll tak her by the toesen.  No taime to stand here like girt gawks.  Don’ee tak on zo, missus.  Ther be vainer vish in the zea—­Lor, but, her be a booty!”

With this, they carried her into the house, Betty chattering all the while, and going on now about Lorna’s hands, and the others crowding round her, so that I thought I was not wanted among so many women, and should only get the worst of it, and perhaps do harm to my darling.  Therefore I went and brought Gwenny in, and gave her a potful of bacon and peas, and an iron spoon to eat it with, which she did right heartily.

Then I asked her how she could have been such a fool as to let those two vile fellows enter the house where Lorna was; and she accounted for it so naturally, that I could only blame myself.  For my agreement had been to give one loud knock (if you happen to remember) and after that two little knocks.  Well these two drunken rogues had come; and one, being very drunk indeed, had given a great thump; and then nothing more to do with it; and the other, being three-quarters drunk, had followed his leader (as one might say) but feebly, and making two of it.  Whereupon up jumped Lorna, and declared that her John was there.