The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-08-16
CATCHING LARKS.
CONTINUED,

cort of the stern maid, who, in portentous
silence, conducted her up stairs, along two
passages, and finally into Gttlo white
washed cell of a room, the floor of which
seemed to be half-filled up by the box.
This is my own room, is it?" said
Madge, looking around. She had been
haunted by fear that she was to sleep in
the same room with her cousin, or at least
next door to her.
1t is the room you are to sleep in,
Miss" replied Lawrence, in tone of cold
correction.
"Thank you. Will you be good enough
to uncord my box, and then bring me some
hot water?''
Lawrence looked surprised, but did as
she was asked, and came again in about
twenty minutes to announce dinner. -
Madge was quite ready, and went down
stairs at once. Miss Thorney was just
crossing the hall to the dining room, and
looked up at the girl as she came tripping
down past the great life-size family por-
traits which hung all over the walls. Sir
Joshua would have made charming addi-
ton to them, if he had seen Margaret;
Miss Thorney may have thought so, but
she said nothing.
The dinner was slow and formal. The
old butler stumped slowly round the table,
and Miss Thorney only spoke now and
then to ask some question about Madge's
home, or her journey, in connection with
which Madge took care not to mention her
friend Robin. When they went back into
the drawing room, she sat down in large
armchair and stretched out her feet on a
foot-stool. Madge thought her feet were
the incest part of her; they were quite
pretty and lady-like.
81 am going to Sleep" said Miss
Thorney.
"Make the tea when it comes. Look
round this room, and when you have seen
everything in it, go out at that window
and look at the garden. Don't, on any
account, show yourself outside the gate,
and don't disturbe me till eight o'clock;
that's tea time"
Having given these orders, Miss Thorney
shut her eyes, and began to snore immedi-
ately.
/" 1t will take me some time to look at
everything in this room," thought Madge,
as she began her tour of inspection. The
walls were almost entirely covered with
miniatures, mixed with few etchings and
old-fashioned water-colors; while the cor
ners were all filled up with shelves of old
china, and cabinet of curiosities extend
Of the shelves of this cabinet was covered
with old-fashioued plate of different pat
terns-a set of apostle-spoens, two massive
goblets, pair of oandlesticks, a teapot
and coffee pot, and several other things.
Everything in the room had little label
attached to it, with a resume of it's history,
and all the miniatures were ticketed with
their names, so that Madge found herself
surrounded by her ancestors in every stage
of antiquity.
It's rather like a pawnbroker's shop"
was her irreverent conclusion. "Ah, you
stupid ancestors. if it were not for you,
might be earning my bread in pleasanter
places than this. How she snores! Well,
III go and see what the garden is like
Her spirits began to come back to her as
she wandered across the grass; everything
was golden in the light of the sinking sun,
and even Monks Dene looked pretty at
that moment. She found that these wild
lawns, edged by belts Of trees, stretched
all round the house, and she also found
that she was on an island; stream some
twenty feet wide ran all round the place,
and the only bridge was the wooden one at
the gate, over which her fly had rumbled
into the drive.
cts rather horrid to be shut in like
this; just like being in castle with moat
round it; and how frightfully damp it must
be in Winter" observed Madge, when her
exploration was completed and she stood
leaning her chin on the gate, and looking
down the vista of poplar-trees. Just then
a pleasant-looking boy in working clothes
came whistling by, and touched his cap to
her.
"Good evening" she said, delighted to
come across an amiable fellow-c creature; it
seemed weeks instead of hours since she
parted with Robin on the platform. "Can
you tell me if there is boat anywhere
here ?''
"There used to be one," said the boy,
stopping and coming confidently nearer
"It's somewhere on the other side, l
think, Miss, but it never gets used"
Thank you," said Madge. "Does
this river overflow its bank sometimes %
"That there brook ?'' said the boy in a
considering tone. "Why, yes; I've seen
it half over the lawn in Winter"
81 thought so. Thank you. Do you
work for Miss Thorney?''
"No, Miss; but if you've any messages
you want to send, Pm Jem Riddell, and
live over there, not a quarter of mile
There was young lady here once as used
to send me to Abbot's Denne, and when
she wanted me, she used to tie a bit of
"hieS WYNN AothA 1iic cop bhA Va ChO SotS.
pass here every night, coming back from
work. Between six and seven, generally
but Pm later now, cause we're finishing
up the hay"
Madge stared at the boy, and smiled.
81 don't think l shall have any mes
sages" she said. "There's eight clock
shrinking. / must CO."
go! yes, Miss, you will, afore you've
been here long," said Jem, with the air of
knowing much better, and he walked on at
brisk pace, while Madge ran back to the
house as fast as she could.
Fortunately, her cousin was not awake,
but she was only just in time, for the but
Ter had brought in the tsa-tray, and Miss
Thorney woke minute afterward.
Madge had to give an account of her
doings, and was little ashamed of her
self for not mentioning Jem Riddelrs COM
munications; but she excused herself by
thinking that she had no business to get
him into scrape; and, after all, if Miss
Thorney was to insist on seeing her letters,
or try on any tyranny of that kind, there