Still more distressed was she when Colonel
Fitzdenys told her that she could not go yet, but that she must first
visit Bracefort Hall. She tried hard to obtain his leave to go to her
own place at once, but he insisted, though with all possible kindness,
that she must come with him to the Hall, and that then she should be
free to go where she would. So very reluctantly she got into a
market-cart with her son, who sat like a lifeless thing beside her, and
was driven off, while Colonel Fitzdenys cantered on before them.
When the market-cart reached the door of the Hall, Lady Eleanor was
there waiting to welcome her and to thank her for all that she had done
for her own children; but the woman only said coldly that she was very
welcome, and seemed to have no thought but for her idiot son, who
remained sunk in the same abject condition. They brought him wine,
which revived him enough to set him crying a little, but he would take
no notice of anything. For a moment the woman softened, when Dick and
Elsie came in and thanked her prettily for the kindness that she had
shown to them, and she tried to rouse her son to take notice of them.
But he only went on crying; and she was evidently much distressed.
Then the Corporal came to say that Mrs. Fry was come and had brought
Tommy with her; on which Colonel Fitzdenys told the woman outright that
she had been accused of bewitching the boy and depriving him of his
speech.
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