” Did Miss Jansen go to tea at Mount Widden?”

” Oh yes. I didn’t have riding lessons with her, but we used to walk over there. And one day we had tea just as we did this afternoon. He’d just bought Jacinth then and he showed her to us. He said he was going to change her name to make her entirely his. Then he said her name was to be Jacinth. That was Miss Jansen’s name.”

I felt foolishly deflated. Then I said: ” He must have been very sorry when she left so suddenly.”

Alvean was thoughtful. ” Yes, I think he was. But he soon forgot all about her. After all” — I finished the sentence for her: “She was only the governess, of course.”

It was later that day when Kitty came up to my room to tell me that there was a message for me from Mount Widden.

“And something more too. Miss,” she said; it was dearly something which exdted her, but I refrained from questioning her since I should soon discover what this was. ” Well,” I said, ” where is the message?”

” In the stables. Miss.” She giggled. ” Come and see.” I went to the stables, and Kitty followed at a distance.

When I arrived there I saw Dick, The Mount Widden houseboy; and, to my astonishment, he had the mare. Jacinth, with him.

He handed me a note. I saw that Daisy, her father, and Billy Trehay were all watching me with amused and knowing eyes. I opened the note and read it. It said:

Dear Miss Leigb, You could not hide from me your admiration for Jacinth. I believe she reciprocates your feelings. That is why I am making you a present of her. I could not bear to see such a fine and graceful rider as yourself on poor old Dion. So pray accept this gift.

Your admiring neighbour, Peter Nansellock

In spite of efforts to control myself I felt the hot colour rising from my neck to my forehead. I knew that Tapperty found it hard to repress a snigger.

How could Peter be so foolish! Was he laughing at me? How could I possibly accept such a gift, even if I wanted to? Horses have to be fed and stabled. It was almost as though be had forgotten this was not my home.

” Is there an answer. Miss?” asked Dick.

” Indeed there is,” I said. ” I will go to my loom at once, and you may take it back with you.”

I went with as much dignity as I could muster in front of such an array of spectators back to the house, and in my room I wrote briefly’ Dear Mr. Nansellock, Thank you for your magnificent gift which I am, of course, quite unable to accept. I have no means of keeping a horse here. It may have escaped you that I am employed in this house as a governess. I could not possibly afford the upkeep of Jacinth. Thank you for the kind thought.

Yours truly, Martha Leigh

I went straight back to the stables. I could hear them all laughing and talking excitedly as I approached.

” Here you are, Dick,” I said. ” Please take this note to your master with Jacinth.”

” But …” stammered Dick. ” I was to leave her here.”

I looked straight into Tapperty’s lewd old face.

“Mr. Nansellock,” I said, ” is fond of playing jokes.” Then I went back to the house.

The next day was Saturday and Alvean said that, as it was a half holiday, could we not take the morning off and go to the’ moors. Her Great-Aunt Clara had a house there, and she would be pleased to see us.

I considered this. I thought it would be rather pleasant to get away from the house for a few hours. I knew that they must all be talking about me and Peter Nansellock.

I guessed that he had behaved with Miss Jansen as he was behaving with me, and it amused them all to see the story of one governess turning out so much like another.

I wondered about Miss Jansen. Had she perhaps been a little frivolous?

I pictured her stealing, whatever she was supposed to have stolen, that she might buy herself fine clothes to appear beautiful in the sight of her admirer.

And he had not cared when she was dismissed. A fine friend he would be!

We set out after breakfast. It was a beautiful day for riding for the October sun was not fierce and there was a soft southwest wind. Alvean was in high spirits, and I thought this would be a good exercise in staying power. If she could manage the long ride to her great aunt’s house and back without fatigue I should be delighted.

I felt it was pleasant to get away from the watchful eyes of the servants, and it was delightful to be in the moorland country.

I found the great tracts of moor fitted my mood. I was enchanted by the low stone walls, the grey boulders and the gay little streams which trickled over them.

I warned Alvean to be watchful of boulders, but she was sure-seated and alert now, so I did not feel greatly concerned.

We studied the map which would guide us to Great-Aunt Clara’s house—a few miles south of Bodmin. Alvean had travelled there in a carriage once or twice and she thought she would know the road; but the moor was the easiest place in the world in which to lose oneself, and I thought that we could profit by the occasion to learn a little map-reading.

But I had left a great deal of my severity behind and I found myself laughing with Alvean when we took the wrong road and had to retrace our steps.

But at length we reached The House on the Moors which was the picturseque name of Great-Aunt Clara’s home.

And a charming house it was, set there on the outskirts of a moorland village. There was the church, the little inn, the few houses and The House on the Moors which was like a small manor house.

Great-Aunt Clara lived here with three servants to minister to her wants, and when we arrived there was great excitement as we were quite unexpected.

” Why, bless my soul if it b’aint Miss Alvean!” cried an elderly housekeeper. ” And who be this you have brought with ‘ee, my dear?”

” It is Miss Leigh, my governess,” said Alvean.

” Well now! And be there just the two on you? And b’aint your papa here?”

” No. Papa has gone to Penzance.”

I wondered then whether I had been wrong in acceding to Alvean’s wishes, and had forgotten my position by imposing myself on Great-Aunt Clara without first asking permission.

I wondered if I should be banished to the kitchen to eat with the servants. Such a procedure did not greatly disturb me and I would rather have done that than sit down with a haughty, disapproving old woman.

But I was soon reassured. We were taken into a drawing room and there was Great-Aunt Clara, a charming old lady seated in an armchair, whitehaired, pink-cheeked with bright friendly eyes. There was an ebony stick beside her, so I guessed she had difficulty in walking.

Alvean ran to her and she was warmly embraced.

Then the lively blue eyes were on me.

” So you are Alvean’s governess, my dear,” she said. ” Well, that is nice. And how thoughtful of you to bring her to see me. It is particularly fortunate, for I have my grandson staying with n me and I fear he grows a little weary of having no playmates of his own age. When he hears Alvean has arrived he’ll be quite excited.”

I did not believe that the grandson could be any more excited than Great-Aunt Clara herself. She was certainly charming to me, so much so that I forgot my diffidence and I really did feel like a friend calling on a friend, rather than a governess bringing her charge to see a relative, Dandelion wine was brought out and we were pressed to take a glass.

There were wine cakes with it and I must say I found the wine delicious. I allowed Alvean to take a very small glass of it but when I had taken mine I wondered whether I had been wise, for it was certainly potent.

Great-Aunt Clara wished to hear all the news of Mount Mellyn; she was indeed a garrulous lady, and I guessed it was due to the fact that she lived a somewhat lonely life in her house on the moors.

The grandson appeared a handsome boy a little younger than Alvean and the pair of them went off to play, although I warned Alvean not to go too far away as we must be home before dark.

As soon as Alvean had left us I saw that Great-Aunt Clara was eager for a real gossip; and whether it was due to the fact that I had taken her potent dandelion wine or whether I believed her to be a link with Alice, I am not sure; but I found her conversation fascinating.

She spoke of Alice as I had not until now heard her spoken of with complete candour; and I quickly realised that from this gossipy lady I was going to discover a great deal more than I could from anyone else.

As soon as we were alone she said: ” And now tell me how things really are at Mount Mellyn.”

I raised my eyebrows as though I did not fully comprehend her meaning.

She went on: ” It was such a shock when poor Alice died. It was so sudden. Such a tragic thing to happen to such a young girl for she was little more than a girl.”

” Is that so?”

” Don’t tell me you haven’t heard what happened.”

“I know very little about it.”

” Alice and Geoffry Nansellock, you know. They went off together ..

eloped. And then this terrible accident. “

” I have heard that there was an accident.”

” I think of them—those two young people—quite often, in the dead of the night. And then I blame myself.”

I was astonished. I did not understand how this gentle talkative old lady could blame herself for Alice’s infidelity to her husband.

” One should never interfere in other people’s lives. Or should one?

What do you think, my dear? If one can be helpful”— ” Yes,” I said firmly, ” if one can be helpful I think one should be forgiven for interference. “