Henley,
that he was hurried (as he afterwards declared) into granting his
daughter's request. After this concession, the necessary arrangements
were easily made. The influence of Iris won the goodwill of the farmer
and his wife; Rhoda, as an expert and willing needlewoman, being sure
of a welcome, for her own sake, in a family which included a number of
young children. Miss Henley had only to order her carriage, and to be
within reach of the farm. A week seldom passed without a meeting
between the mistress and the maid.
In the meantime, Mountjoy (absent in France) did not forget to write to
Iris.
His letters offered little hope of a speedy return. The doctors had not
concealed from him that his father's illness would end fatally; but
there were reserves of vital power still left, which might prolong the
struggle. Under these melancholy circumstances, he begged that Iris
would write to him. The oftener she could tell him of the little events
of her life at home, the more kindly she would brighten the days of a
dreary life.
Eager to show, even in a trifling matter, how gratefully she
appreciated Mountjoy's past kindness, Iris related the simple story of
her life at home, in weekly letters addressed to her good friend.
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