Before they reached the pleasant homestead Mary had to a certain degree recovered her self-possession; while Henry, when shown to his room to refresh himself after his journey, felt his hopes of a favourable reception of his message raised to almost a certainty. Mary at once escaped to her room. Much as she loved her cousin Sarah, she could not open her heart to her as she did to her mother, and she longed to be alone. What could this visit mean? What message could her father possibly have to send to her by such a messenger? He and Mr. Halford must have been on very friendly terms in the railway carriage to talk about _her_, or even to talk on any subject. Could it be possible that her father had changed his mind respecting Mr. Halford? And at the thought, the blush that covered the young girl's face would have relieved that gentleman from any further anxiety, had he seen it, and known the emotions from which it arose. Cousin Sarah, although at first surprised at the appearance of the young clergyman on his way to the farm, had no such perplexing doubts. She recalled her conversation with Mr. Armstrong, and therefore readily accounted for this visit. "Mr. Halford can only have been sent for one purpose," she said to herself, "and I must contrive an opportunity for him to deliver his message to Mary before we meet at the tea-table; until that is done the young people will not be at ease in each other's society." Full of this determination, she hastily removed her walking dress and descended the stairs; yet with all her quickness Henry Halford had found his way down before her, and now stood looking out over garden and orchard to the distant prospect from the garden entrance. He turned quickly at the sound of footsteps, and as Mrs. John Armstrong advanced he said-- "This is truly a country landscape, Mrs. Armstrong, and your gardens and orchards promise great things from their present appearance." "Are you too tired to walk through the garden?" she asked. "Our spring flowers are in great profusion this year." "No, indeed," he replied, "it will be a pleasure to do so." But as they passed down the steps cousin Sarah saw him cast a hasty glance behind him, as if hoping for and expecting another companion. She opened the gate for him to pass through, and then said-- "Will you excuse me one moment, Mr. Halford? I can soon overtake you if you walk on slowly." The next moment he was alone. Hastily returning to the house, she ascended the stairs to Mary's bedroom. Her knock brought Mary to the door. "My dear," she said, "Mr. Halford is in the garden alone, pray do not allow him to feel himself neglected; will you join him while I tell cousin John and the boys that he is here, and get the tea ready."