It was through my godmother that I went to learn the butter-making at
the Creamery, and since it was strange that my grandparents should have
permitted me to go, I must explain how it was that Miss Champion came to
have so much influence with them and over our affairs generally, and who
the lady was.

She was our nearest neighbour, at Castle Clody, the beautiful old house
which stands on the side of the river Clody, overlooking the falls. She
had been an orphan almost from her birth, and had grown up as
independent and able to manage her affairs as any man.

She was a great sportswoman even in our country of such, and being
exposed to all manner of wind and weathers, her face had come to have a
weather-beaten look. She had very beautiful grey eyes and a deal of
black, silken hair, and she was unusually tall. Even the weather, when
it had roughened and tanned her complexion, had but given her a new
charm to my mind, for she looked as wholesome and sweet and out-of-doors
as the weather itself. Yet people said she was plain. I could not see
it, but then she was too good to me and I loved her.

I remember that usually she wore grey tweed tailor-made gowns, in which
her beautiful figure showed to advantage, unless she happened to be
riding when she wore a dark grey habit. But I have seen her very
splendid when she went out in the evening; and I have never seen a woman
better fitted to grace splendid garments.

She had taken to herself at Castle Clody, because it was her nature to
foster and protect something, a cousin of hers, a peevish, exacting
invalid whom we always called Miss Joan, her name being Joan Standish.