'
'No: I am going back this afternoon.'
Her interrogator was puzzled and her curiosity stimulated. Presently
she looked in Madge's face.
'Ah! my poor dear, you'll excuse me, I don't mean to be forward, but
I see you've been a-cryin': there's somebody buried here.'
'No.'
That was all she could say. The walk from Letherhead, and the
excitement had been too much for her and she fainted. Mrs Caffyn,
for that was her name, was used to fainting fits. She was often 'a
bit faint' herself, and she instantly loosened Madge's gown, brought
out some smelling-salts and also a little bottle of brandy and water.
Something suddenly struck her. She took up Madge's hand: there was
no wedding ring on it.
Presently her patient recovered herself.
'Look you now, my dear; you aren't noways fit to go back to London
to-day. If you was my child you shouldn't do it for all the gold in
the Indies, no, nor you sha'n't now. I shouldn't have a wink of
sleep this night if I let you go, and if anything were to happen to
you it would be me as 'ud have to answer for it.'
'But I must go; my mother and sister will not know what has become of
me.'
'You leave that to me; I tell you again as you can't go. I've been a
mother myself, and I haven't had children for nothing. I was just a-
goin' to send a little parcel up to my daughter by the coach, and her
husband's a-goin' to meet it.
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