Lady Louvaine took her place on the right hand of the coach, facing the horses, Faith being at her side. Opposite sat Edith, and Lettice by the door. "Aunt Temperance!" called out Aubrey from the doorstep, "you shall have my horse, if you will; I am going in the caroche." "You are _what_, Sirrah?" demanded Aunt Temperance, with the severity of at least one Lord Chief-Justice. "I shall ride in the caroche," repeated Aubrey calmly. "Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Durham!" was the awful answer. The young people knew what that meant. When Temperance said "Dear heart!" she was just a little surprised or put out; when it was "Lancaster and Derby!" she was very much astonished or provoked; but when she supplicated the help of "Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Durham!" it meant from Aunt Temperance what swearing would from any one else. "I should like to know, if you please, Mr Aubrey Louvaine, whether you are a king, a sick woman, or a baby?" "Well, Aunt, I don't think I am any of them at present." "Then you have no business to ride in a caroche till you are. I never heard of such a thing in my life. A man to ride in a caroche! We shall have them hemming handkerchiefs to-morrow." "You won't have me," said Aubrey. "I won't have you in there," retorted Temperance bluntly, "without my Lady Lettice call you in, and that she won't. Will you, Madam?" "Certainly not, my dear, after your decision," she replied. "Indeed, I do think it too effeminate for men, persons of high honour except, or them that are sick and infirm." "That rascal's not sick, any more than he's a person of honour.--Thee bestride thy horse, lad--without thou canst find an ass, which would suit with thee better.--Now, Hans, come and help me to mount." When all were mounted, the six great horses tugged and strained at the big coach, and with a good push from the four farm-servants, it moved forwards, at first slowly, then faster. The farm-servants stood bareheaded, to see the family depart, crying, "God bless you, my Lady, and bring you home in peace!" Faith sank back sobbing into the corner, and there were tears in Edith's eyes which she would not let fall. "Farewell!" said Lady Louvaine, leaning forward. "Farewell, my good, kind old friends--Thomas, William, Isaac, and Gideon--I wish you God's blessing, and a better head than I." "Nay, nay, that'll ne'er be, nor couldn't, no wise!" cried old Gideon, and the rest all echoed his "Nay, nay!" "Farewell!" said his mistress again, somewhat faintly, as she sank back into the corner. "Friends, God will bless me, and He shall bring me home in peace." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Note 1. The thrum is the fringed end of a weaver's web; a thrum hat was made of very coarse tufted woollen cloth. Note 2. This was quite a common occurrence at that time, when men-servants were usually better educated, and ladies and gentlemen much less so, than now.