WINNIE CORSELLIS; OR, DEATH IN THE BOM 289

No “unforeseen circumstance ” having occurred,
the Miss Fishers drove up to the farm on the day
after Emma Lowe’s funeral, and found Winnie and
Trot waiting for them at the gate.

“Iam so glad you are come,” she exclaimed
brightly, as the great heavy carriage drew up, and
the horses, unused to such a pull against collar as
was implied in the ascent of Beechley Hill, stood
panting in the shade of the trees.

“My dear, what a dreadful road!” was Miss
Cecilia’s first exclamation ; “wwe thought we should
never get here.”

“Tt is very steep,” assented Winnie, “but it is
worth the trouble when you see the view. Isn’t it
2 charming old place?” she continued, as they
passed through the front kitchen, which had been
polished up to a greater degree of perfection than
usual, in honour of their visit.

“Dear me, how nice; it is like a house in a
book, I mean like a house one reads about in a
book,” said Miss Cecilia, catching her sister’s eye.
“Isn't it, Sarah ? Look at the great hearth, and
the stairease, and those lovely banisters.”

Miss Fisher cast a stately but approving glance
round the room.

“I must say I had not expected to find such an
attractive abode, Winifred my dear. Do the people
here make you comfortable ?”

“Indeed they do, they are the kindest old
couple; Mrs. Ramsay cooks beautifully, and every
thing about the house is as clean as possible, and Mr.
Ramsay is so good to the children. Isn’t he, Trot 2?”

“Yes, Trot ride,” said the young lady, recurring
to that remarkable event in her short life. * Trot
vide geegee.”

“You darling,” eried Miss Cecilia, and then
Winnie opened the parlour-door, and the old ladies
were gracefully welcomed by Mrs. Hammond.

They had a luncheon which fully bore out
Winnie’s opinion of Mrs. Ramsay’s cooking, and |
the Miss Fishers, who appreciated good meats after
2 quiet decorous fashion, enjoyed themselves very
much, and were willing to be as pleased as Winnie
wanted them to be, when she took them out into
the garden, where, by previous arrangement, Mr.
Ramsay was found digging up some early potatoes.

>

Fisher.

“J haven’t nothing to complain of, ma’am, thank
you; I hope I see you well ?”

* Quite so, I thank you,” said the old lady,
graciously, as she cast sharp glances about the
well-kept garden, and noticed the order and neat-
ness which prevailed there, as in the house.

“JT am glad to see you up at the Castle, ladies ;
perhaps now you are here you would like to take a
turn round and Jook at the place, being, as one may
say, in part your own.”

“TI wish it was all ours,” exclaimed Miss Cecilia
to Winnie.

“So do I,” replied Winnie, laughing. “I am
sure you would be good landlords, and poor Mr.
Ramsay seems in many troubles now about repairs
and so on.”

“T was thinking, my dear, how nice it would be if
we could have left it all to you and George ; as it is,
he will only have part share in the value, you know.”

Winnie looked surprised.

“TI did not know any thing about it.”

“Has not George mentioned it ?”

“No, he has never spoken about money coming
to him from any body,
for means to live on.”

“ Very right, my dear, quite what I should have
expected of George, but still all the same it will be
his by-and-by, when we are all dead I mean;” and
Miss Cecilia smiled cheerfully as if the prospect of
their all being dead was the most pleasant thing in
the world. ‘Only the worst of it is there are
relations of that horrid Mr. Barrett to share alike
with George, or else of course we should be willing
to spend on the place, and keep it up for his sake
and yours.”

He looks to his profession

Winnie began to feel very uncomfortable ; she
had been most anxious to persuade the old ladies
into doing repairs for Mr. Ramsay, but now it
would seem as if she wanted them done, not for
him, but for themselyes.
difficulties she spoke out.

“Oh, Miss Cecilia, I wish I had not known
this; I wanted you to see the farm because I
thought you must be pleased with such a beautiful
old place, and would not like to think that it was
going to ruin for want of some money spent before

As was her wont under

it is too late; and besides, the Ramsays want
something done so very badly, the rain comes into
the roof, and all sorts of things are out of order ;
but now it seems quite different, because it is like
asking you to give George money.”

“Stuff and nonsense, child, don’t you know we
should both be willing to do any thing for George;
and really, as you say, it is a thousand pities to let
such a house tumble to pieces. Only, if we agree
to do any thing, there is that horrid man in Bir-
mingham, who won't give his consent or take his
share. I remember last year Ramsay wanted a
great hedge taken away, and Sarah was willing
and so was J, but Mr. Barrett would not hear of
it, and of course we could not do it alone. He
wanted to have a quantity of drainage done, but
Sarah thought there must be natural drainage
enough on a hill like this, and of course I don’t
understand about it. In fact, I don’t think Sarah
knew a great deal on the subject then, but she has
taken it up since; she is very clever, you know,
my dear, and reads deep books about gravel, and

VOL. IX. N. S.—=NO, LIII.

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