"Where, where did she go?" asked Hannah, clasping hear hands in the
agony of her anxiety.
"Out o' doors, I see by her little foot-prints a-leading away from de
door; dough I 'spects dey's filled up by dis time. I was jes' agwine out
to look for her."
"Oh, bless you, Jovial!"
"Which way do you think she went, Miss Hannah?"
"Home again, I suppose, poor child."
"It's a wonder you hadn't met her."
"The night is so dark, and then you know there is more than one path
leading from Brudenell down into the valley. And if she went that way
she took a different path from the one I came by."
"I go look for her now! I won't lose no more time talkin'," and the old
man clapped his hat upon his head and picked up his lantern.
"I will go with you, Jovial," said Nora's sister.
"No, Miss Hannah, don't you 'tempt it; tain't no night for no 'oman to
be out."
"And dat a fact, Miss Hannah! don't you go! I can't 'mit of it! You stay
here long o' me till my ole man fines her and brings her back here; an'
I'll have a bit of supper ready, an' you'll both stop wid us all night,"
suggested Dinah.
"I thank you both, but I cannot keep still while Nora is in danger! I
must help in the search for her," insisted Hannah, with the obstinacy of
a loving heart, as she wrapped her shawl more closely around her
shoulders and followed the old man out in the midnight storm. It was
still snowing very fast. Her guide went a step in front with the
lantern, throwing a feeble light upon the soft white path that seemed to
sink under their feet as they walked. The old man peered about on the
right and left and straight before him, so as to miss no object in his
way that might be Nora.
"Jovial," said Hannah, as they crept along, "is it true about the young
foreign lady that arrived here last night and turned out to be the wife
of Mr. Herman?"
"All as true as gospel, honey," replied the old man, who, in his love
of gossip, immediately related to Hannah all the particulars of the
arrival of Lady Hurstmonceux and the flight of Herman Brudenell. "Seems
like he run away at the sight of his wife, honey; and 'pears like she
thinks so too, 'cause she's taken of it sorely to heart, scarce' holdin'
up her head since. And it is a pity for her, too, poor young thing; for
she's a sweet perty young cre'tur', and took Miss Nora's part like an
angel when de old madam was a-callin' of her names, and orderin' of her
out'n de house."