It was Ellen's former acquaintance who came forward in obedience to this call. Ellen had not seen before that she was in the room. Nancy grinned a mischievous smile of recognition as she stooped to Ellen's throat and undid the fastening of the cloak, and then shortly enough bade her "get up, that she might take it off!" Ellen obeyed, but was very glad to sit down again. While Nancy went to the door to shake the cloak, Mr. Van Brunt was gently pulling off Ellen's wet gloves, and on Nancy's return he directed her to take off the shoes, which were filled with snow. Nancy sat down on the floor before Ellen to obey this order; and, tired and exhausted as she was, Ellen felt the different manner in which her hands and feet were waited upon. "How did you get into this scrape?" said Nancy; "_this_ was none of my doings anyhow. It'll never be dry weather, Ellen, where you are. I won't put on my Sunday go-to-meeting clothes when I go a walking with you. You had ought to ha' been a duck or a goose, or something like that. — What's that for, Mr. Van Brunt!" This last query, pretty sharply spoken, was in answer to a light touch of that gentleman's hand upon Miss Nancy's ear, which came rather as a surprise. He deigned no reply. "You're a fine gentleman!" said Nancy, tartly. "Have you done what I gave you to do?" said Mr. Van Brunt, coolly. "Yes — there!" said Nancy, holding up Ellen's bare feet on one hand, while the fingers of the other, secretly applied in ticklish fashion to the soles of them, caused Ellen suddenly to start and scream. "Get up!" said Mr. Van Brunt. Nancy didn't think best to disobey. "Mother, han't you got nothing you want Nancy to do?" "Sally," said Mrs. Van Brunt, "you and Nancy go and fetch here a couple of pails of hot water — right away." "Go, and mind what you are about," said Mr. Van Brunt; "and after that keep out of this room, and don't whisper again till I give you leave. Now, Miss Ellen, dear, how do you feel?" Ellen said in words that she felt "nicely," but the eyes and the smile said a great deal more; Ellen's heart was running over. "Oh, she'll feel nicely directly, I'll be bound," said Mrs. Van Brunt; "wait till she get her feet soaked, and then!" — "I do feel nicely now," said Ellen. And Alice smiled in answer to their inquiries, and said if she only knew her father was easy, there would be nothing wanting to her happiness. The bathing of their feet was a great refreshment, and their kind hostess had got ready a plentiful supply of hot herb-tea, with which both Alice and Ellen were well dosed. While they sat sipping this, toasting their feet before the fire, Mrs. Van Brunt and the girls meanwhile preparing their room, Mr. Van Brunt suddenly entered. He was cloaked and hatted, and had a riding-whip in his hand. "Is there any word you'd like to get home, Miss Alice? I'm going to ride a good piece that way, and I can stop as good as not." "To-night, Mr. Van Brunt?" exclaimed Alice, in astonishment.