Ghosts  
T was now Supper-time; and Mark, having lessened the Sense of his Troubles by telling of them, although he began by thinking he could not eat a Mouthful, ended by making a very hearty Supper. Indeed, he so much commended the one or two simple Dishes set upon Table, and spoke so strongly, though briefly, on the Subject of good and bad Cookery, that, as it had been his Disposition to be contented with Anything that was set before him in his unmarried 225Days, I set it all down to the Discomfort of his late Life in the Forest. Afterwards I was disposed to change my Mind about this, and to decide that Mistress Blenkinsop, who in their early married Days had pampered and petted him amazingly, (whereby his good Looks had suffered no little,) had really destroyed the simple Tastes which were once so becoming in him, and had made him Something of an Epicure.
After the Table was cleared, he drew near me again, and with real Concern in his Manner, pressed me to tell him about my Father. I did so from first to last, with many Tears; adding thereunto my nursing of Master Blower. He sighed a good many Times as I went on, and after I had done; exclaiming at last, “What a Difference between you and me!”
226“All People have not the same Qualifications,” said I.
“No,” said he, and seemed to think I had now hit the right Nail on the Head.
“And Violet——” said he, after a Pause, and colouring deeply. “Is she quite well, Cherry?”
“Quite,” I said; and could think of Nothing more to say.
“I wonder,” said he in a low Voice, as if he were almost afraid to hear the Echo of his own Thoughts, “whether she would now have Anything to say to me?”
I said, looking away from him, “Such Questions as that should only be put to the Parties concerned.”
“You are right,” said he; and sat a long While silent, leaning his Head upon his Hand. At length, he said, 227“I am rich now, and she is poor, Cherry.”
I said, “Riches and Poverty don’t make much Difference, Mark, when People really love one another.”
“As I have loved—” said he.
I said, “It is Bed-time now, and here is Dolly coming in to Prayers.”
The next Morning, he said he must go to the Lord Mayor about his House. For the abandoned Effects of such Families as were entirely swept away and left no known Heirs, went to the King, who made them over to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen, to be applied to the Use of the Poor; and Mark’s Absence had made it appear that his Property was in that Case.
Soon after he was gone, the uncommon, and, I may almost say, unparalleled Event occurred to me of receiving a Letter; I 228was so surprised at the Circumstance, that for the Moment, I thought it must be from my Father; or, at least, to tell me he was alive. But no, it was from Master Blower; and this was what he put in it:
 
“Bucklands Hall, Berks.
“Oct. 27, 1665.
“Dear Mistress Cherry,
“On first coming down here, I was so ill at Ease and out of Sorts, as to require much Care and Nursing. Heaven be praised, I am now well, and I hope you are the same. Though the Pinks and Gilly-flowers are pretty well over, there are still some gay Autumn Flowers in the old Garden with the Iron Gate; and my Brother, the Squire, and his good Wife want to see the brave Mistress Cherry who 229nursed me through the Plague. So come down to us, dear Cherry, to-morrow, if you can. John, the Coachman (a steady Man), will be at your Door, with a white Horse and a Pillion, at Seven o’ the Clock. And be so good, if it will not be inconvenient to 230you, as to bring my Sister-in-Law a little Mace and green Ginger; and also (on my Account) one of those Saffron-cakes they used to be so famous for at the Bridge foot.
“Your faithful and obliged Friend,
“Nathanael Blower.
“If you don’t come, you must write.”
Here was an Event! An Invitation to the Country was a still more startling Occurrence than the Receipt of a Letter. Many of the Circumstances connected with it were delightful; but then, it seemed so strange, so awful, to go to stay with People I had never seen, ... such grand People, too! I that was so unused to fine Company, and did not know how to behave!—And Master Blower knew all this, knew exactly what 231I was, and yet had prevailed with them to say they should be happy to see me!—Oh, his Goodness of Heart had this Time carried him too far! They had said so just to please him, without expecting I should go!—And yet, if the Lady were very much put to it for Mace and green Ginger.... And if Master Blower’s Heart were very much set upon giving her the Saffron-cake.... I supposed I had better go. If I found myself very much out of Place, I could come away the next Day.
Then I thought I would go and consult Violet; for, in Fact, I wanted a little persuading to do what I very much liked. So I stepped across the Bridge. The Shop was open, but nobody was in it; so I went to the Parlour Door, and opened it.
Directly I had done so, I saw Violet 232and Mark, sitting close together, their Backs to me, and his Arm round her Waist. I closed the Door so softly that they did not know it had been opened, and went Home. A Pang shot through my Heart. It was entirely on their own Accounts, for I had ceased, for Years, to have Anything but a most sisterly Concern in him; and his Character, compared with those of the People I had most loved, failed to stand the Test: but I thought this was too quick, too sudden, to be quite comely or decent; there was too much Passion, too little Self-respect.
I now made up my Mind without any more Hesitation, that I would go into the Country. I gave my parting Direction............