"And what a sweet-tempered forehead he has!" cried Louisa,--"so

smooth--none of those frowning irregularities I dislike so much; and

such a placid eye and smile!"

And then, to my great relief, Mr. Henry Lynn summoned them to the

other side of the room, to settle some point about the deferred

excursion to Hay Common.

I was now able to concentrate my attention on the group by the fire,

and I presently gathered that the new-comer was called Mr. Mason;

then I learned that he was but just arrived in England, and that he

came from some hot country: which was the reason, doubtless, his

face was so sallow, and that he sat so near the hearth, and wore a

surtout in the house. Presently the words Jamaica, Kingston,

Spanish Town, indicated the West Indies as his residence; and it was

with no little surprise I gathered, ere long, that he had there

first seen and become acquainted with Mr. Rochester. He spoke of

his friend's dislike of the burning heats, the hurricanes, and rainy

seasons of that region. I knew Mr. Rochester had been a traveller:

Mrs. Fairfax had said so; but I thought the continent of Europe had

bounded his wanderings; till now I had never heard a hint given of

visits to more distant shores.

I was pondering these things, when an incident, and a somewhat

unexpected one, broke the thread of my musings. Mr. Mason,

shivering as some one chanced to open the door, asked for more coal

to be put on the fire, which had burnt out its flame, though its

mass of cinder still shone hot and red. The footman who brought the

coal, in going out, stopped near Mr. Eshton's chair, and said

something to him in a low voice, of which I heard only the words,

"old woman,"--"quite troublesome."

"Tell her she shall be put in the stocks if she does not take

herself off," replied the magistrate.

"No--stop!" interrupted Colonel Dent. "Don't send her away, Eshton;

we might turn the thing to account; better consult the ladies." And

speaking aloud, he continued--"Ladies, you talked of going to Hay

Common to visit the gipsy camp; Sam here says that one of the old

Mother Bunches is in the servants' hall at this moment, and insists

upon being brought in before 'the quality,' to tell them their

fortunes. Would you like to see her?"

"Surely, colonel," cried Lady Ingram, "you would not encourage such

a low impostor? Dismiss her, by all means, at once!"




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