“Yes, I knew your father, too, my child,” breathed the latter in a low tone. “Well, father looks younger, too. He is not sallow now, and he doesn’t stoop. He’s ruddy as a red apple and straight as an arrow. And they are all as well and as happy as they can be at the Wilderness Manor. They have everything that heart can wish. Without being wealthy, they have all the enjoyments of wealth. And it is like Paradise after the purgatory of Laundry Lane.” “I thank the Lord that one family, at least, is made happy,” breathed the lady in low and earnest tones. “And we owe all that happiness to you, dear madam; for although they have never seen you, yet of course we know that you are our Lady of the Manor, Mrs. Lindsay,” said Em. “‘Lindsay?’ ‘Mrs. Lindsay!’” repeated the lady in a tone of surprise. “Yes, Lindsay—is not that your name?” “No; but it does not matter. Tell me more of your mother. Has she any other children, younger than yourself, I mean?” “Oh, yes, ma’am, as many younger as there are older. The four elder ones are all married and settled in the city where we came from, and we hear from them about once a month. They are all doing well. And the four younger ones are—in Paradise with us. And now, dear lady, may I ask you a question?” “Yes, certainly. Have I not asked you many?” “Well, then, was it because you knew my dear father and mother that you caused your agent to engage them to take charge of the old manor?” The lady hesitated for a moment, and then replied: “Yes, though at the time I did not care to be known in the transaction, and so acted only through my agent, Carmichael, and my friend Mrs. Willet.” “Oh! you knew Mrs. Willet, too! How many people and places you knew that we knew!” exclaimed Em. in glad surprise, losing all the shyness she had first felt in the presence of the strange lady. “Yes, a good many. And in this very transaction I found a coadjutor in a friend of yours, whom, however, I did not know.” “A friend of ours?” said Em. thoughtfully. “Yes; Lieutenant Ronald—Bruce,” said the lady, hesitating and then pronouncing the last word in a low tone and with a falling inflection. “Oh!” breathed Em. “It appears that he had some time before appealed to the Willets to throw anything they could find to suit him in the way of John Palmer and his family. So, when the proposal came from my agent, John Palmer and his wife would have got the first offer upon Mr. Bruce’s standing recommendation, even if his name had not been mentioned in my private instructions.” “Then it is to you that we owe all our happiness! Oh! how grateful we should be, and _are_, madam, for we know that we enjoy many privileges not usually accorded to overseers and their families,” said Em., raising the lady’s hand to her lips. “It was my happiness to make you happy,” replied the latter in a low tone.