"Gone over to Morton for a walk; but they would be back in half an hour to tea."

They returned within the time Hannah had allotted them: they entered by the kitchen door. Mr. St. John，when he saw me，merely bowed and passed through; the two ladies stopped: Mary，in a few words，kindly and calmly expressed the pleasure she felt in seeing me well enough to be able to e down; Diana took my hand: she shook her head at me.

"You should have waited for my leave to descend," she said. "You still look very pale- and so thin! poor child!- poor girl!"

Diana had a voice toned，to my ear，like the cooing of a dove.

She possessed eyes whose gaze I delighted to encounter. Her whole face seemed to me full of charm. Mary"s countenance was equally intelligent- her features equally pretty; but her expression was more reserved，and her manners，though gentle，more distant. Diana looked and spoke with a certain authority: she had a will，evidently. It was my nature to feel pleasure in yielding to an authority supported like hers，and to bend，where my conscience and self-respect permitted，to an active will.

"And what business have you here?" she continued. "It is not your place. Mary and I sit in the kitchen sometimes，because at home we like to be free，even to license- but you are a visitor，and must go into the parlour."

"I am very well here."

"Not at all，with Hannah bustling about and covering you with flour."

"Besides，the fire is too hot for you," interposed Mary.