‘Dear Bessy,’ said Clara, ‘see how well she knows me.’  But I think the tame little beast would have known any one else as well who had gone up to her as Clara did, with food in her hand.  ’She is quite as sacred as any cow that ever was worshipped among the cow-worshippers,’ said Mrs Askerton.  I suppose they milk her and sell the butter, but otherwise she is not regarded as an ordinary cow at all.’  ‘Poor Bessy,’ said Clara.  ‘I wish she had never come here.  What is to be done with her?’ ’Done with her!  She’ll stay here till she dies a natural death, and then a romantic pair of mourners will follow her to her grave, mixing their sympathetic tears comfortably as they talk of the old days; and in future years, Bessy will grow to be a divinity of the past, never to be mentioned without tenderest reminiscences.  I have not the slightest difficulty in prophesying as to Bessy’s future life and posthumous honours.’  They roamed about the place the whole morning, through the garden and round the farm buildings, and in and out of the house; and at every turn something was said about Will Belton.  But Clara would not go up to the rocks, although Mrs Askerton more than once attempted to turn in that direction.  He had said that he never would go there again except under certain circumstances.  She knew that those circumstances would never come to pass; but yet neither would she go there.  She would never go there till her cousin was married.  Then, if in those days she should ever be present at Belton Castle, she would creep up to the spot all alone, and allow herself to think of the old days.

On the following morning there came to her a letter bearing the Downham post-mark but at the first glance she knew that it was not from her Cousin Will.  Will wrote with a bold round hand, that was extremely plain and caligraphic when he allowed him. self time for the work in hand, as he did with the commencement of his epistles, but which would become confused and altogether anti- caligraphic when he fell into a hurry towards the end of his performance as was his wont.  But the address of this letter was written in a pretty, small, female hand very careful in the perfection of every letter, and very neat in every stroke.  It was from Mary Briton, between whom and Clara there had never hitherto been occasion for correspondence.  The letter was as follows: 

’Plaistow Hall, April, 186 .

My Dear Cousin Clara,

William has heard from your friends at Belton, who are tenants on the estate, and as to whom there seems to be some question whether they are to remain.  He has written, saying, I believe, that there need be no difficulty if they wish to stay there.  But we learn, also, from Mrs Askerton’s letter, that you are expected at the cottage, and therefore I will address this to Belton, supposing that it may find you there.