"And how are Phoebe and her husband?" "A little under the weather just now; but I'm watchin' 'em unbeknawnst. Theer's a glimmer of hope in the dark if you'll believe it, for Will ackshally comed to me esster-night to ax my advice--_my_ advice--on a matter of stock! What do 'e think of that?" "He was fighting a losing battle in a manly sort of way it seemed to me when last I saw him." "So he was, and is. I give him eighteen month or thereabout--then'll come the end of it." "The 'end'! What end? You won't let them starve? Your daughter and the little children?" "You mind your awn business, Martin," said Mr. Lyddon, with nods and winks. "No, they ban't gwaine to starve, but my readin' of Will's carater has got to be worked out. Tribulation's what he needs to sweeten him, same as winter sweetens sloes; an' 't is tribulation I mean him to have. If Phoebe's self caan't change me or hurry me 't is odds you won't. Theer's a darter for 'e! My Phoebe. She'll often put in a whole week along o' me still. You mind this: if it's grawn true an' thrawn true from the plantin', a darter's love for a faither lasts longer 'n any mortal love at all as I can hear tell of. It don't wear out wi' marriage, neither, as I've found, thank God. Phoebe rises above auld age and the ugliness an' weakness an' bad temper of auld age. Even a poor, doddering ancient such as I shall be in a few years won't weary her; she'll look back'ards with butivul clear eyes, an' won't forget. She'll see--not awnly a cracked, shrivelled auld man grizzling an' grumbling in the chimbley corner, but what the man was wance--a faither, strong an' lusty, as dandled her, an' worked for, an' loved her with all his heart in the days of his bygone manhood. Ess, my Phoebe's all that; an' she comes here wi' the child; an' it pleases me, for rightly onderstood, childern be a gert keeper-off of age." "I'm sure she's a good daughter to you, Miller. And Will?" "Doan't you fret. We've worked it out in our minds--me an' Billy; an' if two auld blids like us can't hatch a bit o' wisdom, what brains is worth anything? We'm gwaine to purify the awdacious young chap 'so as by fire,' in holy phrase." "You're dealing with a curious temperament." "I'm dealing with a damned fule," said Mr. Lyddon frankly; "but theer's fules an' fules, an' this partickler wan's grawed dear to me in some ways despite myself. 'T is Phoebe's done it at bottom I s'pose. The man's so full o' life an' hope. Enough energy in un for ten men; an' enough folly for twenty. Yet he've a gude heart an' never lied in's life to my knawledge." "That's to give him praise, and high praise. How's his sister? I hear she's returned after all."