“My dear one she intended that I should make miserable with reproaches, and from his own home drive him to her home for some consolations;” and Katherine smiled as she reflected how hopeless such a plan of separation would be.

Never, perhaps, are we so happy as when we have just escaped some feared calamity.  That letter lifted the last fear from Katherine’s heart, and it gave her also the expectation of an early visit.  “I am very impatient to see you, my Kate,” he wrote; “and as early as possible after the funeral, you may expect me.”  The words rang like music in her heart.  She read them aloud to little Joris, and then the whole household warmed to the intelligence.  For there was always much pleasant preparation for Hyde’s visits,—­clean rooms to make still cleaner, silver to polish, dainties to cook; every weed to take from the garden, every unnecessary straw from the yards.  For the master’s eye, everything must be beautiful.  To the master’s comfort, every hand was delighted to minister.

So these last days of May were wonderfully happy ones to Katherine.  The house was in its summer draperies—­all its windows open to the garden, which had now not only the freshness of spring, but the richer promise of summer.  Katherine was always dressed with extraordinary care and taste.  Little Joris was always lingering about the gates which commanded the longest stretch of observation.  A joyful “looking forward” was upon every face.

Alas, these are the unguarded hours which sorrow surprises!  But no thought of trouble, and no fear of it, had Katherine, as she stood before her mirror one afternoon.  She was watching Lettice arrange the double folds of her gray taffeta gown, so as to display a trifle the high scarlet heels of her morocco slippers, with their scarlet rosettes and small diamond buckles.

“Too cold a colour is gray for me, Lettice:  give me those scarlet ribbons for a breast knot;” and as Lettice stood with her head a little on one side, watching her mistress arrange the bright bows at her stomacher, there came a knock at the chamber door.

“Here be a strange gentleman, madam, to see you; from London, he do say.”

A startled look came into Katherine’s face; she dropped the ribbon from her hand, and turned to the servant, who stood twisting a corner of her apron at the front-door.

“Well, then, Jane, like what is the stranger?”

“He be in soldier’s dress, madam”—­

“What?”

She asked no further question, but went downstairs; and, as the tapping of her heels was heard upon them, Jane lifted her apron to her eyes and whimpered, “I think there be trouble; I do that, Letty.”

“About the master?”

[Illustration:  Jane lifted her apron to her eyes]

“It be like it.  And the man rides a gray horse too.  Drat the man, to come with news on a gray horse!  It be that unlucky, as no one in their seven senses would do it.”