the younger lady so frail and broken, and the elder so strong, vigorous, and active; as they moved along in the sunshine, pausing to note each spring blossom that bordered the gravel, and entered the walled kitchen-garden, where espaliers ran parallel with the walks, dividing the vegetables from the narrow flower-beds, illuminated by crocuses opening the depths of their golden hearts to the sunbeams and the revelling bees.  Old Gervas, in a patriarchal red waistcoat, welcomed Mrs. Ponsonby with more warmth than flattery.  Bless me, ma’am, I’m right glad to see you; but how old you be!’

‘I must come home to learn how to grow young, Gervas,’ said she, smiling; ‘I hear Betty is as youthful as my aunt here.’

‘Ay, ma’am, Betty do fight it out tolerablish,’ was the reply to this compliment.

’Why, Gervas, what’s all that wilderness?  Surely those used to be strawberry beds.’

’Yes, ma’am, the earliest hautboys; don’t ye mind?  My young Lord came and begged it of me, and, bless the lad, I can’t refuse him nothing.’

‘He seems to be no gardener!’

‘He said he wanted to make a Botany Bay sort of garden,’ said the old man; ’and sure enough ’tis a garden of weeds he’s made of it, and mine into the bargain!  He has a great big thistle here, and the down blows right over my beds, thick as snow, so that it is three women’s work to be a match for the weeds; but speak to him of pulling it up, ye’d think ‘twas the heart out of him.’

‘Does he ever work here?’

’At first it was nought else; he and that young chap, Madison, always bringing docks and darnel out of the hedges, and plants from the nursery gardens, and bringing rockwork, and letting water in to make a swamp.  There’s no saying what’s in the lad’s head!  But, of late, he’s not done much but by times lying on the bank, reading or speaking verses out loud to himself, or getting young Madison off his work to listen to him.  Once he got me to hear; but, ma’am, ’twas all about fairies and such like, putting an ass’s head on an honest body as had lost his way.  I told him ’twas no good for him or the boy to read such stuff, and I’d ha’ none of it; but, if he chose to read me some good book, he’d be welcome—­for the candles baint so good as they used, and I can’t get no spectacles to suit me.’

‘And did he read to you?’

’A bit or two, ma’am, if the humour took him.  But he’s young, you see, ma’am.  I’m right glad he’ll find you here.  My old woman says he do want a lady about the place to make him comfortable like.’

‘And who is this young Madison?’ asked Mrs. Ponsonby, when they had turned from the old gardener.

’To hear Jem, you would believe that he is the most promising plant rearing for Botany Bay!’ said Mrs. Frost.  ’He is a boy from that wild place Marksedge, whom Louis took interest in, and made more familiar than Jem liked, or than, perhaps, was good for him.  It did not answer; the servants did not like it, and it ended in his being sent to work with Smith, the ironmonger.  Poor Louis! he took it sadly to heart, for he had taken great pains with the boy.’