"Are they all farmers about here?"

"Mostly. Well, there's Duddon Castle!" Thyrza's voice, a little muffled
by the tin-tacks in the mouth, came from somewhere near the top of a tall
window--"Oh--an' I forgot!--"

In a great hurry the speaker jumped down from her perch, and to Netta's
astonishment ran out of the room.

"What is she about?" thought Mrs. Melrose irritably. But the question was
hardly framed before Thyrza reappeared, holding out her hand, in which
lay some visiting-cards.

"I should ha' given them yo' before."

Mrs. Melrose took them with surprise, and read the name.

"Countess Tatham--who is she?"

"Why it's she that lives at Duddon Castle." Then the girl looked
uncertainly at her companion--"Mr. Tyson did tell me she was a relation
of Mr. Melrose."

"A relation? I don't know anything about her," said Netta decidedly. "Did
she come to call upon me?"

The girl nodded--"She come over--it was last Tuesday--from Duddon, wi'
two lovely horses--my, they were beauties! She said she'd come again."