Quite a levee had assembled to meet them. Mrs. Hastings and Grace, Bessie and Cecil Godolphin, Thomas Godolphin and Mr. Crosse. Maria threw off her bonnet and shawl, and stood amidst them all in her dark silk travelling dress. There was no mistaking that she was intensely happy: her eye was radiant, her colour softly bright, her fair young face without a cloud. And now walked in the Rector of All Souls', having escaped (nothing loth) from a stormy vestry meeting, to see Maria. "I have brought her home safely, you see, sir," George said to Mr. Hastings, leading Maria up to him. "And yourself also," was the Rector's reply. "You are worth two of the shaky man who went away." "I told you I should be, sir, if you allowed Maria to go with me," cried gallant George. "I do not fancy we are either of us the worse for our sojourn abroad." "I don't think either of you look as though you were," said the Rector. "Maria is thin. I suppose you are not sorry to come home, Miss Maria?" "So glad!" she said. "I began to think it very, very long, not to see you all. But, papa, I am not Miss Maria now." "You saucy child!" exclaimed Mr. Hastings. But the Rector had the laugh against him. Mrs. Hastings drew Maria aside. "My dear, you have been ill, George wrote me word. How did it happen? We were sorry to hear it." "Yes, we were sorry too," replied Maria, her eyelashes resting on her hot cheek. "It could not be helped." "But how did it happen?" "It was my own fault; not _intentionally_, you know, mamma. It occurred the day after we reached Homburg. I and George were out walking and we met the Verralls. We turned with them, and then I had not hold of George's arm. Something was amiss in the street, a great heap of stones and earth and rubbish; and, to avoid a carriage that came by, I stepped upon it. And, somehow I slipped off. I did not appear to have hurt myself: but I suppose it shook me." "You met the Verralls at Homburg?" cried Mrs. Hastings, in surprise. "Yes. Did George not mention it when he wrote? They are at Homburg still. Unless they have now left it." "George never puts a superfluous word into his letters," said Mrs. Hastings, with a smile. "He says just what he has to say, and no more. He mentioned that you were not well, and therefore some little delay might take place in the return home; but he said nothing of the Verralls." Maria laughed. "George never writes a long letter----" "Who's that, taking George's name in vain?" cried George, looking round. "It is I, George. You never told mamma, when you wrote, that the Verralls were with us at Homburg." "I'm sure I don't remember whether I did or not," said George. "The Verralls are in Wales," observed Mr. Hastings. "Then they have travelled to it pretty quickly," observed George. "When I and Maria quitted Homburg we left them in it. They had been there a month."