“Oh, young lady, don’t mention the manor house. Don’t! You don’t know; you can’t know. But I’ll say nothing more about that now. Here comes the gentleman.” David Lindsay had pushed open the door, and was coming in, holding one handle of the trunk while Tubal Cummings held the other. They sat it down on the floor, and Tubal immediately bolted, flinging behind him these words: “I’ll wait for yer outside the gate, young marster. I can’t stay here, indeed!” David Lindsay laughed, saying: “I had the utmost difficulty in persuading that old man to help me with the trunk. I had at length to bribe him heavily before he would venture to do it. And what do you suppose he means to do, after leaving me at the overseer’s?” “What?” inquired Gloria. “Go all the way back to Wolf’s Gap to-night.” “I know he declared that he would do so; but I did not think he would keep his word,” replied Gloria. “Now, dear, in mercy to the old fellow who has such a long way to return, I must bid you good-night. You, also, need rest so much that you had better go to bed as soon as possible.” So saying, David Lindsay took her hand, pressed it and left the lodge. The old housekeeper stared. “Is that the way your husband takes leave of you? I never did! I really never did!” she said. “We understand each other,” said Gloria, smiling. “Well, if you do, I suppose that is enough,” muttered Mrs. Brent, who all this time was busy beating up eggs with sugar in a bowl, while something spicy simmered in a saucepan before the fire. Now she took the saucepan and slowly poured its contents over the beaten eggs in the bowl, stirring thoroughly with a spoon as she poured. Then she filled a tumbler with the pungent and fragrant compound, and gave it to Gloria, saying kindly: “Take this, honey. It is as nice a glass of spiced mulled cider as ever I brewed in my life. It will warm you all through, and drive out any cold you may have caught.” Gloria smiled, and thanked her kind hostess, and took and sipped the spicy beverage which she found delicious in taste and delightful in effect. The housekeeper filled a second glass for herself, and sat down and sipped it for company. “I should have offered to make some for your gentleman, honey, only as he was going out in the cold again it would have done him more harm than good. Besides, to tell the honest truth, I don’t think such indulgence in drink is good for young men anyhow. They begin with cider, and are too apt to end with rum.” Very much revived and comforted, Gloria finished her mulled cider and put her glass upon the mantelpiece. “Now, then, dear, we will go up stairs to bed,” said Mrs. Brent, placing her own glass beside the other one, and blowing out one candle and taking the other. “Are you not going to lock the door?” inquired the visitor. “Law, child, why? There is no one to molest us—except those that no locks can keep out. However, I’ll do it to please you,” said Mrs. Brent, going to the door and turning the key.