She turned hastily round not to lose another word of Lady Agnes'
lecture on orchids, and Molly turned back and passed out of the heated
atmosphere. She felt better in the fresh air; and unobserved, and at
liberty, went from one lovely spot to another, now in the open park,
now in some shut-in flower-garden, where the song of the birds, and the
drip of the central fountain, were the only sounds, and the tree-tops
made an enclosing circle in the blue June sky; she went along without
more thought as to her whereabouts than a butterfly has, as it skims
from flower to flower, till at length she grew very weary, and wished
to return to the house, but did not know how, and felt afraid of
encountering all the strangers who would be there, unprotected by
either of the Miss Brownings. The hot sun told upon her head, and it
began to ache. She saw a great wide-spreading cedar-tree upon a burst
of lawn towards which she was advancing, and the black repose beneath
its branches lured her thither. There was a rustic seat in the shadow,
and weary Molly sate down there, and presently fell asleep.

She was startled from her slumbers after a time, and jumped to her
feet. Two ladies were standing by her, talking about her. They were
perfect strangers to her, and with a vague conviction that she had done
something wrong, and also because she was worn-out with hunger,
fatigue, and the morning's excitement, she began to cry.

'Poor little woman! She has lost herself; she belongs to some of the
people from Hollingford, I have no doubt,' said the oldest-looking of
the two ladies; she who appeared to be about forty, although she did
not really number more than thirty years. She was plain-featured, and
had rather a severe expression on her face; her dress was as rich as
any morning dress could be; her voice deep and unmodulated,--what in a