It was not until the end of the month of October that a letter, half expected by both her guardian and herself, came from Lady Bryn Afon, begging her once more to give her the pleasure of her company for two or three months, which she purposed to spend abroad, in order once more to escape the severity of the English winter; and gladly though she would have spent this last Christmas-tide with Jack, neither he nor Master Rhys thought it wise that she should refuse such another kindly-offered opportunity of benefiting herself by foreign travel. "We know not what your mother may expect of you, sweetheart," said Jack; "but whether much or little, I would not that she should be disappointed in her child, whatever; and for that the world is large and the men and manners thereof are various, it is well that your eyes should see and your ears hear as much of its wonders as is permitted to them ere you pass away for aye from the safe shelter of your childhood." So with mingled joy and sorrow, Primrose once more departed in the Black Horseman's charge one fine November morning, to join Lady Bryn Afon in town, ere they repaired together to Paris, whence by easy stages, suited to Lady Bryn Afon's delicate health, they proceeded to Nice, and thence to Florence, where they purposed to remain some weeks, returning home early in the spring, by sea, after visiting Rome and Naples. Of all Primrose saw in these wonderful cities it would take too long to tell, but her keen delight in music and pictures and scenery, and in all the varied new interests which surrounded her, gave continual pleasure to Lady Bryn Afon, as well as to her old foster-father, at such intervals as her long and brightly-descriptive letters reached him. And good old Master Rhys was scarcely less interested than his friend Jack, when a letter came, telling of their unexpected meeting once more with Master John Milton, who was at that time passing some weeks in Florence, and who had become a frequent visitor at Lady Bryn Afon's house, greatly delighting both herself and Primrose by his learned and profitable conversation, telling them much of his own literary work, and of his most kind and courteous reception in the learned academies of Florence and other parts, and above all charming them by his account of his late visit in person to the renowned Galileo at his little villa at Arcetri, where he dwelt, a prisoner indeed, yet still in his old age and blindness pursuing those studies for which he suffered punishment. And over his cruel lot, said Primrose, Master Milton waxed eloquent in indignation, till she herself longed also for but one glimpse of this marvellous scientific discoverer, and had been fain to assure Master Milton, that would he but procure for her one moment's interview with so great a man she would pardon him all his heresy against the church and king, and ever after read his learned poems with an unprejudiced mind. Whereupon Master