But she did not come forth; why should she?
was not Herbert there--if, indeed, even Herbert could be of any service?
"Shall I take your card in to Sir Thomas, sir ?" said one of the servants, coming forward.
"Card!" said Mollett senior out loud; "well, if it is necessary, I believe I have a card." And he took from his pocket a greasy pocket-book, and extracted from it a piece of pasteboard on which his name was written.

"There; give that to Sir Thomas.

I don't think there's much doubt but that he'll see me." And then, uninvited, he sat himself down in one of the hall chairs.
Sir Thomas's study, the room in which he himself sat, and in which indeed he might almost be said to live at present,--for on many days he only came out to dine, and then again to go to bed,--was at some little distance to the back of the house, and was approached by a passage from the hall.

While the servant was gone, the ladies finished their wrapping, and got up on the car.
"Oh, Mr.Fitzgerald," said Clara, laughing, "I shan't be able to breathe with all that on me." "Look at Mary and Emmeline," said he; "they have got twice as much.
You don't know how cold it is." "You had better have the fur close to your body," said Aunt Letty; "look here;" and she showed that her gloves were lined with fur, and her boots, and that she had gotten some nondescript furry article of attire stuck in underneath the body of her dress.
"But you must let me have them a little looser, Mr.Fitzgerald," said Clara; "there, that will do," and then they all got upon the car and started.

Herbert was perhaps two minutes after them before he mounted; but when he left the hall the man was still sitting there; for the servant had not yet come back from his father's room.
But the clatter of his horse's hoofs was still distinct enough at the hall door when the servant did come back, and in a serious tone desired the stranger to follow him.