"And now, Ben Walker, give an account o' thissen," said George, standing before the shrinking man, with clenched fist and a flashing eye. And Walker shamed and faltered. His eye wandered from one face to another, and found no comfort anywhere. "It's noan o' my doing, George. Tha' needn't look so fierce. Awn laid no hand on her, han aw Mary? Speak th' truth, choose what tha' does, it goes th' furthest." "Oh! you coward, you pitiful coward!" was all that Mary could say; but she was calmer now. "It wer' this way," continued Walker reluctantly. "We'd done th' shopping at Ned o' Bill's, an' had passed th' church an' got well into th' lane comin' back. Aw wer' carryin' th' basket." "Where is th' basket?" cried my mother. "By gow, I reckon aw mun ha' dropped it. Aw nivver gav' it a thowt', an' aw nivver missed it till nah. As aw wer' saying', aw wer' huggin' th' basket wi' one arm, an' aw'd axed Mary to hold on to th' other." "As if aw'd link wi' sich as thee," said Mary, bridling again. "An all at onst, about half-way up th' broo' a felly lope ovver th' wall. He wer' a big un, aw tell yo', an' ther' wer' more behind, aw heard 'em eggin' 'im on. If he'd been by hissen aw'd ha stood up to him if he'd been as big as a steeple. He said nowt to me, but he gate hold o' Mary an 'oo started to scream an' struggle, an' aw heerd him say he'd have a kiss if he died for it. Aw wer' for parting on 'em, but he gav' me such a look, an' aw thowt aw heerd others comin, so aw just made off across th' fields. Tha' knows, George, duty afore everything, an' if th' soldiers is about they're happen comin' here an' tha' knows best whether tha' wants to see 'em." "A soldier was it," I cried. "What mak' o' man wor he?" "Aw tell thee bigger nor thissen, wi' a black poll an' a eye like a dagger blade for keen, an' ther' were a scar across his face." "It were one o' them chaps 'at's stayin' at John Race's at th' Red Lion i' Marsden," said Mary. "He stopped me once afore a week back, when aw wer' walkin' out that way on. But he spoke me civil then, an' aw thowt nowt on it. But he's been drinkin' to-neet an' used me rough an' fleyed me. But aw reckon he'll keep his distance another time. It'll be a lesson to him." "How does ta mean, Mary?" said my mother. "Aw got one o' his fingers between my teeth an' aw bit him, an' bit him, an' bit him, an' he had hard to do to throw me off. Then he called me a vicious little devil, an' aw tucked up my skirts an' ran for it. Aw wer' more fleyed nor hurt. But thee! Ben Walker, thee!" and she turned from him, with a look of such contempt and scorn that Ben hung his head with a hang-dog look and mumbling something about outstaying his welcome and making his way shorter, he slunk off, no one staying him.