Now that she had her old friend with her, she felt no further misgivings, and was able to enter into the full delight of her new home.
The house and its wonders were explored, and, much as she was delighted with these, the gardens and park were an even greater excitement and pleasure.

Dancing, chattering, asking questions of one or the other, she was half wild with pleasure, and the squire was no less delighted.
A new light and joy had come into his life, and with it the ten years, which sorrow and regret had laid upon him, had fallen off; for, although his habits of seclusion and quiet had caused him to be regarded as quite an old man by his neighbours, he was still three years short of sixty, while the sergeant was two years younger.
It was a happy morning for them, all three; and when John Petersham went in, after lunch, to the kitchen, he assured his fellow servants that it was as much as he could do to keep from crying with joy, at the sight of the squire's happy face, and to hear him laugh and joke, as he had not done for eight years now.
The sergeant had stopped to that meal, for he saw, by the manner in which the squire asked him, that he should give pain if he refused; and there was a simple dignity about the old soldier, which would have prevented his appearing out of place at the table of the highest in the land.
"Now, pussy," the squire said, when they had finished, "you must amuse yourself for a bit.

You can go in the garden again, or sit with Mrs.
Morcombe in her room.

She will look you out some picture books from the library.

I am afraid there is nothing very suited to your reading, but we will soon put all that right.