“Oh yes, she did, miss, I’ll take my oath of it, for I was in the coach with Master Wayland on my knee, when she was telling a lady how hard it was they could have no use of Bowstead, because of Sir Jovian’s brother being there, who had got the black melancholics, and could not be removed. The lady says how good she was to suffer it, and she answers, that there was no being harsh with poor Sir Jovian’s brother, though he had a strange spleen at her and her son, and always grew worse when they did but go near the house; but that some measures must be taken when her son came of age or was married.” “But he came at last!” “He said he wanted to see for himself, and thought he could at least find out from the servants whether his uncle was in the state they reported. And there he found his three little sisters, and that you was their tutoress, and they couldn’t say enough about you, nor the poor gentleman neither. ‘I didn’t see her, nurse,’ says he, ‘but there’s a bit of her own sweet fingers’ work.’ And sure enough, I knew it, for it was a knot of the very ribbon you had in your hair the day I came to talk to your sister about the journey.” “That was what Amy told me she gave him.” “Nothing loth would he be to take it, miss! Though says he, ‘Don’t you let my mother know I have tracked her, nurse,’ says he. ‘It is plain enough why she gives out that I am not to go near my uncle, and if she guessed where I had been, she would have some of her fancies.’ ‘Now your Honour, my dear,’ says I, ‘you’ll excuse your old nurse, but her sister put her in my charge, and though I bless Heaven that you are no young rake, yet you will be bringing trouble untold on her and hers if you go down there a courting of her unbeknownst.’ ‘No danger of that, nurse,’ says he; ‘why there’s a she-dragon down there (meaning Mrs. Aylward) that was ready to drive me out of my own house when I did but speak of waiting to see her.’” “No, I am glad he will not come again. Yet it makes his uncle happy to see him. I will keep out of the way if he does.” “Right too, miss. A young lady never loses by discretion.” “Oh, do not speak in--in that way,” said Aurelia, blushing at the implication. “Besides, he is going home with my Lady to dear Carminster.”