Produced by Chris Curnow, Lindy Walsh, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net HERIOT'S CHOICE A Tale BY ROSA NOUCHETTE CAREY AUTHOR OF 'NELLIE'S MEMORIES,' 'NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS,' 'SIR GODFREY'S GRANDDAUGHTERS,' ETC. London MACMILLAN AND CO., Limited NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1902 _All rights reserved_ _First Edition, 3 Vols. Crown 8vo, 31s. 6d., 1879_ _Second Edition, 1 Vol. Crown 8vo, 6s., 1890_ _Reprinted 1891, 1895,(3s. 6d.) 1898_ _Transferred to Macmillan & Co., Ltd., August 1898, 1902_ TO The Rev. Canon Simpson, LL.D. THIS STORY IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR CONTENTS CHAPTER I. 'SAY YES, MILLY' CHAPTER II. 'IF YOU PLEASE, MAY I BRING RAG AND TATTERS?' CHAPTER III. VIÂ TEBAY CHAPTER IV. MILDRED'S NEW HOME CHAPTER V. OLIVE CHAPTER VI. CAIN AND ABEL CHAPTER VII. A MOTHER IN ISRAEL CHAPTER VIII. 'ETHEL THE MAGNIFICENT' CHAPTER IX. KIRKLEATHAM CHAPTER X. THE RUSH-BEARING CHAPTER XI. AN AFTERNOON IN CASTLESTEADS CHAPTER XII. THE WELL-MEANING MISCHIEF-MAKER CHAPTER XIII. A YOUTHFUL DRACO AND SOLON CHAPTER XIV. RICHARD COEUR-DE-LION CHAPTER XV. THE GATE AJAR CHAPTER XVI. COMING BACK CHAPTER XVII. THREE YEARS AFTERWARDS--A RETROSPECT CHAPTER XVIII. OLIVE'S WORK CHAPTER XIX. THE HEART OF COEUR-DE-LION CHAPTER XX. WHARTON HALL FARM CHAPTER XXI. UNDER STENKRITH BRIDGE CHAPTER XXII. DR. HERIOT'S WARD CHAPTER XXIII. 'AND MAIDENS CALL IT LOVE-IN-IDLENESS' CHAPTER XXIV. THE DESERTED COTTON-MILL IN HILBECK GLEN CHAPTER XXV. ROYAL CHAPTER XXVI. 'IS THAT LETTER FOR ME, AUNT MILLY?' CHAPTER XXVII. COOP KERNAN HOLE CHAPTER XXVIII. DR. HERIOT'S MISTAKE CHAPTER XXIX. THE COTTAGE AT FROGNAL CHAPTER XXX. 'I CANNOT SING THE OLD SONGS' CHAPTER XXXI. 'WHICH SHALL IT BE?' CHAPTER XXXII. A TALK IN FAIRLIGHT GLEN CHAPTER XXXIII. 'YES' CHAPTER XXXIV. JOHN HERIOT'S WIFE CHAPTER XXXV. OLIVE'S DECISION CHAPTER XXXVI. BERENGARIA HERIOT'S CHOICE CHAPTER I 'SAY YES, MILLY' 'Man's importunity is God's opportunity.' 'O fair, O fine, O lot to be desired! Early and late my heart appeals to me, And says, "O work, O will--Thou man, be fired, To earn this lot--" she says--"I would not be A worker for mine own bread, or one hired For mine own profit. O, I would be free To work for others; love so earned of them Should be my wages and my diadem."'--Jean Ingelow. 'Say yes, Milly.' Three short words, and yet they went straight to Milly's heart. It was only the postscript of a long, sorrowful letter--the finale brief but eloquent--of a quiet, dispassionate appeal; but it sounded to Mildred Lambert much as the Macedonian cry must have sounded of old: 'Come over and help us.'