288 WINNIE CORSELLIS; OR, DEATH IN THE POT.

“But Mr. Barrett has promised ?”

“Yes, miss; but bless you he knows he is safe
enough, they none of them want to spend money on
the farm, only to get some of it.”

“Do you know these old ladies, Mr. Ramsay ?”

‘‘No, I’ve never seen either of them. And I
don’t think they’ve ever set eyes on the farm for all
it is their own.”

«What are they called, and where do they live ?”
inquired Winnie curiously: she liked talking to
Ramsay, and he liked it also, and was always
willing to have a chat.

“They live at Merton, that’s a matter of nine
or ten miles over that way,” and he pointed south;
‘happen it’s not quite so far, but the roads is bad ;
and it takes a goodish while to get there. Twoold
maiden ladies they be, living together, but each
is independent, and each of them have a share in
the farm, so even if one is willing to do the repairs
it’s an even chance if the other don’t say ‘No.’
Their name is Fisher, Miss Sarah, and Miss
Cecilia Fisher.”

Winnie blushed crimson, and exclaimed, “Oh, I
know them quite well, they are such dear old
ladies, only a little odd and old-fashioned. Once
they wrote me such kind little notes, and then I
went, I mean I was taken, to stay with them for a
day or two.”

“There now; how things do come round! to
think of your knowing them! Have you been ac-
quainted long, Miss Winnie ?” asked Mrs. Ramsay.

“No!” said Winnie blushing again, “only a
month or two—I did not know them of myself, but
Mr. Ferrars is their nephew, and that is how I came
to go there.”

“Ah, to be sure, and right well pleased they
must have been to see you, miss,” said the old
farmer heartily, for he was a great admirer of
Winnie.

“Have they never been here,-do you say?”
asked the girl, after a minute’s thought.

“No, never. I wish they had; they’d be more
likely to take thought about the place then. Maybe
you'd tell them about it some day when you got the
chance.”

“No!” said Winnie, eagerly, “we'll do better
than that, we will get them to drive over here, and
have lunch with us, and then they will see the
house and every thing. They wanted to come to
Dudley some time, but this is so much nearer that
I think they will be sure to take advantage of our
being here.”

“TI did think of going over to them, but happen
I'd better not if you thinks there’s a chance of get-
ting them here.”

“No, wait till they come here, they will be much
more likely to agree to what you want than if you
asked them at their own home. I'll go and talk

to Mrs. Hammond about it. Fancy, Mrs. Ramsay !
if it could be managed, how glad I should be!”
and Winnie danced into the parlour, where, with
Mrs. Hammond’s consent, she wrote a pleasant
little note to the old ladies, begging them to come
over and make acquaintance with her sister and the
children.

As Winnie had foretold, the invitation was ac-
cepted; the Miss Fishers had been greatly pleased
with Winnie when George Ferrars had taken her
over to be introduced to them, and had talked more
than once of making an expedition to Dudley for
the sake of calling on the Hammonds.

“A very proper little note,” said Miss Sarah as
she handed it across the table to her sister, and
began to pour out the coffee. ‘It would be
nothing more than right for us to comply with her
wish ; you had better write after breakfast, Cecilia,
and say that we will do ourselves the pleasure of
waiting on Mrs. Hammond.”

“Do you see where she dates from, sister ?
‘The Castle Farm, Beechley !? why that is our
farm.”

“My dear Cecilia, I wish you’d be more accurate
in your way of expressing yourself. It is not our
farm, only partly ours as you well know.”

“But isn’t it curious that Winifred Corsellis
should be staying there ?” continued Miss Cecilia,
who was accustomed to corrections, and seldom
took any notice of them; “ you know George will
inherit a part share in it after we are all dead.”

“We will inherit a part share in the proceeds of
the sale,” said Miss Fisher serenely, as she looked
at her sister over her spectacles.

“Exactly, that’s what I mean,” replied the
cheerful Miss Cecilia, quite indifferent to the
implied reproof.

“My dear Cecilia, you should say what you
mean; but as you remark, it is a curious coinci-
dence that Winifred should invite us to the farm,
which we shall see for the first time when we go
to her.”

“T have often wondered what it is like. When
shall we go, sister ? we are to fix our own day you
know.”

“Let me consider. On Tuesday we dine at the |
Rectory, and they will not receive your note till
Monday morning. I think Wednesday is the
earliest opportunity we can embrace with regard
to their convenience and our own. Jackson will
not like to have the horses used much before such
a long drive, so they only need come out to take us
to the Rectory and back on Tuesday.”

“Then I will say that we will come on Wednes-
day.”

“Should no unforeseen circumstances arise to
alter our intention ; put that in, Cecilia, and then
they will quite understand.”