accompanied by the sergeant. "She is taking it all for granted, while
it has yet to be arranged. I must apologize for coming in without
knocking; but the child opened the door and rushed in, and the best
thing to do was, we thought, to follow her.

"I have come, in the first place, to thank you for your great kindness
to my little granddaughter, and to tell your son how deeply I feel
indebted to him, for having saved her life two years ago.

"Now, Aggie, you run away and look for your friend, while I talk
matters over with Mrs. Walsham."

Aggie scampered away to find James, who was at work at his books, and
to tell him the news, while the squire unfolded his plans to Mrs.
Walsham.

His offers were so handsome that Mrs. Walsham accepted them, without an
instant's hesitation. She was to have the entire charge of the child
during the day, with the option of either returning home in the
evening, when Aggie went in to dessert after dinner, or of living
entirely at the Hall. The squire explained his intention of sending
James to a good school at Exeter, as an instalment of the debt he owed
him for saving the child's life, and he pointed out that, when he was
at home for his holidays, Aggie could have her holidays, too, and Mrs.
Walsham need only come up to the Hall when she felt inclined.

Mrs. Walsham was delighted with the offer, even more for James's sake
than her own, although the prospect for herself was most pleasant. To
have only Aggie to teach, and walk with, would be delightful after the
monotony of drilling successive batches of girls, often inordinately