"She is very nervous, and I am sure it will be best
if you will meet her, when she arrives, and take her straight to her
room."
"That is what I was going to do, Dick," his mother said, with a smile.
"Well, I will go down with you, at once."
Two or three minutes later, the cart entered the courtyard. Mrs.
Holland was on the steps. Dick ran down, and helped Annie from the
cart. The girl was trembling violently.
"Don't be afraid, Annie," Dick whispered, as he lifted her down. "Here
is my mother, waiting to receive you.
"This is the young lady," he went on cheerfully, as he turned to his
mother. "I promised her a warm welcome, in your name."
Mrs. Holland had already come down the steps, and as the girl turned
towards her, she took her in her arms, and kissed her in motherly
fashion.
"Welcome, indeed," she said. "I will be a mother to you, poor child,
till I can hand you over to your own. I thank God for sending you to
me. It will be a comfort to me to know that, even if my son should
never bring my husband back to me, he has at least succeeded in
rescuing one victim from Tippoo, and in making one family happy."
The girl clung to her, crying softly.
"Oh, how good you all are!" she sobbed.
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