The next few days were the happiest she had known for a long time.
There was a pleasurable excitement in getting ready for so momentous a
step. After having paid her passage she found that she had eight pounds
in the world, the result of ten years' work as lady's companion. She
wrote to let Mr. Wynne know of her decision and enclosed Miss Pringle's
banknote to the doctor's wife with an explanatory note asking her to see
that it reached her hands safely. Miss Pringle herself should have a
long letter from the New World waiting her on her return.

Her last day at home, having satisfied herself that nothing was
forgotten, she spent a long hour in the Turner room in the Tate Gallery,
drinking it all in for the last time. When she left the building it was
with a feeling that the last farewell to the old life was said.

To her great pleasure and a little to her surprise, Nora discovered
herself to be a thoroughly good sailor. As a consequence, the voyage to
Montreal was quite the most delightful thing she had ever experienced.
The boat was a slow one but the time never once seemed long. Indeed, as
they approached their destination, she found herself wishing that the
Western Continent might, by some convulsion of nature, be removed, quite
safely, an indefinite number of leagues farther, or that they might
make a détour by way of the antipodes, anything rather than bring the
voyage to an end.

There were but few passengers at this season so that beyond the daily
exchange of ordinary courtesies, she was able to pass much of the time
by herself. The weather was unusually fine for the time of year. It was
possible to spend almost all the daylight hours on deck, and with night
came long hours of dreamless sleep such as she never remembered to have