Home went Clement Hicks, placed his mother in a whirl of mental rejoicing at this tremendous news, then set out for Chris. Their compact of the morning--that she should await his return in the woods--he quite forgot; but Mrs. Blanchard reminded him and added that Chris had returned in no very good humour, then trudged up to Newtake to see Phoebe. Cool and calm the widow stood before Clement's announcement, expressed her gratification, and gave him joy of the promised change in his life. "Glad enough am I to hear tell of this. But you'll act just--eh? You won't forget that poor auld blid, Lezzard? If she'm gwaine to leave un out the account altogether, he'll be worse off than the foxes. His son's gone to foreign paarts an' his darter's lyin'-in--not that her husband would spare a crust o' bread for auld Lezzard, best o' times." "Trust me to do what's right. Now I'll go and see after Chris." "An' make it up with Will while sun shines on 'e. It's so easy, come gude fortune, to feel your heart swellin' out to others." "We are good friends now." "Do'e think I doan't knaw better? Your quarrel's patched for the sake of us women. Have a real make-up, I mean." "I will, then. I'll be what I was to him, if he'll let me. I'll forgive everything that's past--everything and every body." "So do. An' doan't 'e tell no more of them hard sayings 'gainst powers an' principalities an' Providence. Us be all looked arter, 'cording to the unknawn planning of God. How's Mrs. Lezzard?" "She'll be dead in a fortnight--perhaps less. As likely as not I might marry Chris before the next new moon." "Doan't think 'pon that yet. Be cool, an' keep your heart in bounds. 'T is allus the way wi' such as you, who never hope nothing. Theer comes a matter as takes 'em out of themselves, then they get drunk with hope, all of a sudden, an' flies higher than the most sanguine folks, an' builds castles 'pon clouds. Theer's the diggin' of a graave between you and Chris yet. Doan't forget that." "You can't evade solid facts." "No, but solid facts, seen close, often put on a differ'nt faace to what they did far-ways off." "You won't dishearten me, mother; I'm a happy man for once." "Be you? God forbid I should cloud 'e then; awnly keep wise as well as happy, an' doan't fill Chris with tu gert a shaw of pomps an' splendours. Put it away till it comes. Our dreams 'bout the future 's allus a long sight better or worse than the future itself." "Don't forbid dreaming. That's the sole happiness I've ever had until now." "Happiness, you call it? 'T is awnly a painted tinsel o' the mind, and coming from it into reality is like waking arter tu much drink. So I've heard my husband say scores o' times--him bein' a man much given to overhopefulness in his younger days--same as Will is now."