‘I am so pleased at seeing you that I am losing my head,’ she said.  ’Yes, we have come to live at Calton.  We have got the dearest little house there.  And I am French teacher at the large girls’ school just outside the town.  I get sixty pounds a year—­is it not delightful?  So we are quite rich.  If only—­you don’t know how I wish poor father could have enjoyed it too—­if he could but have had a few years of the pleasant life and rest.’

She smiled through the tears in her eyes.  Biddy stroked her hand gently.

‘But you yourself—­it isn’t all rest for you?’ said Alie, thinking as she spoke that it was ‘Celestina all over,’ never giving a thought to herself.

’Oh no, I have to work of course.  But I like it.  And some of my pupils are very nice and intelligent.  Besides—­I should be miserable if I were idle,’ she added brightly.

‘Yes, indeed,’ both the girls heartily agreed.  ’We are very busy too, Celestina.  We have lots and lots of things to do at home to help papa and mamma, and all the village people to look after, and the schools and the choir and the church.  You must see the church, Celestina.’

‘It is just—­almost, at least—­perfect,’ added Biddy enthusiastically, ’compared with poor old Seacove!  Oh, do you remember the high pews with curtains round, and the old clerk, and the pulpit like a Queen Elizabeth bedstead.’

‘Only without curtains,’ said Celestina, at which they all laughed.  They were so happy they would have laughed at anything!

Then Celestina had to be told about Rough, and how well he was getting on, though so far away, alas!  And then she had to be taken out into the garden to see its beauties, and have promises of unlimited cuttings and seeds and I don’t know all what for her own little garden.  There was poor old Smuttie’s grave to show her too, in one corner, for Smut had lived to enjoy a year or two of peaceful and slumberous old age on the sunny doorstep in summer and the library hearthrug in winter at Laneverel Rectory.  And then came the sounds of wheels, and the pony carriage turned in at the gate with Mr. and Mrs. Vane, and all the story of the joyful surprise had to be told over again.

The rector and his wife welcomed their old young friend as heartily as their daughters had done, you may be sure.  They pressed her to stay to dinner, promising to drive her home in the cool of the evening, but this, Celestina, unselfish as ever, would not do, for ‘mother’ might be uneasy.  So they had a very delightful ‘afternoon tea’ in the garden, for afternoon teas were just coming into fashion, and Rosalys and Bride walked half-way home with Celestina, parting with invitations and promises on both sides.  Celestina was to spend at least half of her half-holidays at the Rectory, and Alie was to drive to Calton to fetch Mrs. Fairchild the very next Saturday, and the sisters were to pay Celestina a long visit the following week, to see the dear little house and all her treasures.