"'Twas all the stars of heaven, Miller," said the mother, frankly, "for he was born in my husband's caravan in the auld days. We was camped up on the Moor, drawn into one of them roundy-poundies o' grey granite stones set up by Phoenicians at the beginning of the world. Ess fay, a braave shiny night, wi' the li'l windows thrawed open to give me air. An' 'pon Will's come-of-age birthday, last month, if us didn't all drive up theer an' light a fire an' drink a dish of tea in the identical spot! 'Tis out Newtake' way." "Like a story-book." "'Twas Clem Hicks, his thought, being a fanciful man. But I'll bid you gude-marnin' now. Awnly mind this, as between friends and without a spark of malice: Will Blanchard means to marry your maid, sure as you'm born, if awnly she keeps strong for him. It rests with her, Miller, not you." "Much what your son said in sharper words. Well, you'm out o' reckoning for once, wise though you be most times; for if a maiden's happiness doan't rest with her faither, blamed if I see wheer it should. And to think such a man as me doan't knaw wiser 'n two childern who caan't number forty year between 'em is flat fulishness, surely?" "I knaw Will," said Mrs. Blanchard, slowly and emphatically; "I knaw un to the core, and that's to say more than you or anybody else can. A mother may read her son like print, but no faither can see to the bottom of a wife-old daughter--not if he was Solomon's self. So us'll wait an' watch wi'out being worse friends." She went home again the happier for her conversation; but any thought that Mr. Lyddon might have been disposed to devote to her prophecy was for the time banished by the advent of John Grimbal and his brother.