"Quite well--all there are of us, Joe," said Diana, shelling her peas as she looked up at him. "How's your mother?" "Well, she's pretty smart. Mother seems to be allays just about so. I never see the beat of her for keepin' along. You've had quite a spell o' nursin' folks, hain't you, down this way? Must ha' upset you quite considerable." "We didn't have the worst of the upsetting." "That's a fact. Well, she's gone, ain't she?" "Who, Eliza Delamater? Yes; gone yesterday." "And you hain't nobody else on hand, have ye?" "No. Why?" "Mother's took a lonesome fit. She says it's quite a spell that you hain't ben down our way; and I guess that's so, ain't it?" "I couldn't help it, Joe. I have had other things to do." "Well, don't you think to-day's a good sort for a visit?" "To-day?" said Diana, shelling her peas very fast. "You see, it's pretty silent down to our place. That is, when I ain't to hum; and I can't be there much o' the time, 'cept when I'm asleep in my bed. I'm off as soon as I've done the chores in the mornin'; and I can't get hum nohow sooner than to do up the chores in the evenin'; and the old lady has it pretty much her own way as to conversation the rest o' the time. She can talk to what she likes; but there ain't nothin' as can make a remark back to her." "It's too bad, Joe!" "Fact!" said Joe seriously; all the rest had been said with a smile; "but you know mother. Come! put on your bonnit and run down and set with her a spell. She's took a notion to have ye; and I know she'll be watchin' till you come." "Then I must go. I guess I can arrange it, Joe." "Well, I'll get along, then, where I had ought to be. Mis' Starling cuttin' her hay?" "Yes, this week and more." "It's turnin' out a handsome swath; but it had ought to be all down now. Well, good day! Hurry up, now, for down yonder." Diana brought in her pan of peas. "Mother, where's Josiah Davis?" "Where should he be? He's up in the hill lot, cuttin' hay. That grass is all in flower; it had ought to been cut a week ago; but Josiah always has one of his hands behind him." "And he won't be in till noon. I must harness the waggon myself." "If you can catch the horse," said her mother. "He's turned out in the lot. It's a poor job, at this time o' day."