He no longer danced
before his mistress, coursed away and then returned, or vented
his exuberant life in a thousand feats of playful vigour; but
sedate and observant, he was always at hand, ever sagacious,
and seemed to watch her every glance.
The day was beautiful, the scene was fair, the spot indeed was
one which rendered the performance of gracious offices to
Sybil doubly sweet. She ever begged of the Lady Superior that
she might be her minister to the cottages up Dale. They were
full of familiar faces. It was a region endeared to Sybil by
many memories of content and tenderness. And as she moved
along to-day her heart was light, and the natural joyousness
of her disposition, which so many adverse circumstances had
tended to repress, was visible in her sunny face. She was
happy about her father. The invasion of the miners, instead
of prompting him as she had feared to some rash conduct,
appeared to have filled him only with disgust. Even now he
was occupied in a pursuit of order and peace, counselling
prudence and protecting the benevolent.
She passed through a copse which skirted those woods of
Mowbray wherein she had once so often rambled with one whose
image now hovered over her spirit.
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