"Then, mother, without my knowledge or intention I answered, '_Oh, my
dear_! The world is full of signs and the man must be deaf and blind
that does not believe in them. I have seen just round Hatton that the
whole bird world is ruled by the signs that the trees hang out.' And she
asked me what they were, and I told her to notice next spring that as
soon as the birch-leaves opened, the pheasant began to crow and the
thrush to sing and the blackbird to whistle; and when the oak-leaves
looked their reddest, and not a day before, the whole tribe of finches
broke into song.

"Thus talking, mother, and getting very close and friendly with each
other, we passed through the park, and I could not help noticing the
abundance of hares and pheasants. Jane said they had not been molested
since her father's death, but now they were going to send some of them
to market. As we approached the house, an old man came to meet us and I
gave my horse to his care. He had the keys of the house and he opened
the great door for us. The Hall was very high and cold and lonely, but
in a parlor on the right-hand side we found an old woman lighting a
fire which was already blazing merrily. Jane knew her well and she told
her to make us a pot of tea and bring it there. With her own hands she
drew forward a handsome Pembroke table, and then we went together
through the main rooms of the house. They were furnished in the time of
the Regency, Jane said, and it was easy to recognize the rich, ornate
extravagance of that period. In all this conversation, mother, we were
drawing nearer and nearer to each other and I kept in mind that I had
called her once 'my dear' and that she had shown no objection to the
words."

"I suppose the old man and woman were John Britton and his wife Dinah. I
believe they have charge of the place."