"  God  forbid  I  should  presume  to  say,  sweet-
25*


294  THE  DRA  YTONS

heart,"  said  she.  "  Oxford  is  many  steps  off.  And
the  Lord  has  only  shown  me  the  next  step.  Job  is
wounded  and  in  prison  and  wants  me,  and  will  my
God,  and  his,  fail  to  show  me  how  to  get  to  him  ?"

As  she  spoke  these  last  words,  the  force  of  re
pressed  passion,  and  of  faith  contending  in  them,
gave  her  voice  an  unwonted  depth,  which  made  it
sound  to  me  like  another  voice  answering  her.
At  that  moment  Aunt  Gretel  arrived,  laden  with
a  small  basket  containing  spiced  cordials  and  pre
served  meats  for  Rachel's  journey.
And  not  a  quarter  of  an  hour  afterwards,  Aunt
Dorothy,  on  horseback,  bent  on  protecting  Rachel
through  some  portion  of  her  way.
And  then  Margery  and  the  babe,  who  had  come
at  Rachel's  request.
Before  mounting  her  horse,  Rachel  said, —

"  You  will  have  thought  of  being  at  poor  Tim's
burying,  Mistress  Olive  ?"

We  promise  all  to  be  there.
And  Rachel  from  the  mounting-steps  climbed  up
on  the  patient  old  horse,  and  was  gone,  only  turning
back  once  to  smile  at  us  as  we  watched  her.
She  was  not  a  woman  for  after-thoughts,  or  last
lingering  words.  She  had  always  said  what  she
wanted  before  the  last.
