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Darrell and her stepdaughter. Thornleigh Manor was left to Mrs. Darrell for her life, but was to revert to Milly, or Milly's heirs, at her death; and Milly was to be entitled to occupy her old home until her marriage. In the event of Milly's dying unmarried, her share of the funded property was to be divided equally between Mrs.
More than once she made preparations for her departure, and then changed her mind at the last moment. Late in June we heard of Mr. Egerton's return to Cumber; and a few days after that he came to Thornleigh. Mrs. Darrell was in her own room, Milly and I alone in the drawing-room, when he called. My poor girl turned very pale, and the tears came into her eyes as she and Angus Egerton met.
He could no longer have supposed Angus Egerton influenced by mercenary feelings. My darling seemed perfectly happy in her engagement, and I shared her happiness. I was always to live with her, she said, at Cumber as well as at Thornleigh. She had told Angus this, and he was pleased that it should be so.
He was much liked by the Thornleigh people, who had, most of them, known him in his boyhood; and it was considered by his old friends, that, whatever his career abroad might have been, he had begun, and was steadily pursuing, a reformed course of life.
When we met in this half-accidental way he used to join us in our walk for a mile or two, very often bearing us company till we were within a few paces of Thornleigh. These meetings, utterly accidental as they always were on our side, were a source of some perplexity to me.
'It looks rather hopeless at present, he said; 'but I shall spin you over to Thornleigh in no time; so you mustn't be anxious. It is at Thornleigh Manor you live, is it not? 'Yes, Milly answered. 'My name is Darrell, and this young lady is Miss Crofton, my very dear friend. He bowed in recognition of this introduction. 'I thought as much I mean as to your name being Darrell.
It was the first time I have ever seen her pluck a flower, though there was a wealth of roses at Thornleigh. So ended our visit to Cumber Priory; a place that was destined to be very memorable to some of us in the time to come.
"'Tisn't everybody as 'ud be willin' to do that," she remarked after a pause; "theer's a mony as 'ud sooner spend their brass at th' Thornleigh Arms." Ted privately thought this extremely likely, but he assumed an air of virtuous indignation. "Theer's chaps an' chaps!
We left Thornleigh for Scarborough as soon as she was well enough to be moved, and only returned in the early spring, in time for my darling's wedding. She has now been married nearly seven years, during which time her life has been very bright and happy a life of almost uncheckered sunshine.
Thomas Alty, remarking in an undertone that his Betty would be coming to look for him if he didn't make haste home, withdrew also, after a good-humoured nod to the friend who had treated him; for, as Mrs. Alty invariably impounded Tom's wage, it was only when he met with a crony in a generous humour that he visited the Thornleigh Arms.
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