It was well dusk when Prince stopped under the elm tree. The sun had gone down behind the low distant hills, leaving a white glory in all that region of the heavens; and shadows were settling upon the valleys. All household wants and proprieties were disarranged; the thing to do was to bring up arrears as speedily as possible. To this Mrs. Starling and her daughter addressed themselves. The blackberries were put carefully away; the table set, supper cooked, for the men must have a warm supper; and after supper and clearing up there came a lull. "If it warn't so late," said Mrs. Starling,--"but it _is_ too late,--I'd go at those berries." "Mother! Not to-night." "Well, no; it's 'most too late, as I said; and I _am_ tired. I want to know if this is what folks call work or play? 'cause if it's play, I'd rather work, for my part. I believe I'd sooner stand at the wash-tub." "Than pick blackberries, mother?" "Well, yes," said Mrs. Starling; "'cause _then_ I'd know when my work was done. If the sun hadn't gone down, we'd all be pickin' yet." "I am sure, you could stop when you were tired, mother; couldn't you?" "I never am tired, child, while I see my work before me; don't you know that? And it's a sin to let the ripe fruit go unpicked. I wonder what it grows in such a place for! Who were you with all day?" "Different people." "Did Will Flandin find you?" "Yes." "He was in a takin' to know where you were. So I just gave him a bit of a notion." "I don't see how _you_ could know, mother; I had been going so roundabout among the bushes. I don't know where I was, myself." "When ever you don't know that, Diana, stop and find out." Mrs. Starling was sitting before the stove in a resting attitude, with her feet stretched out towards it. Diana was busy with some odds and ends, but her mother's tone--or was it her own consciousness?--made her suddenly stop and look towards her. Mrs. Starling did not see this, Diana being behind her. "Did it ever strike you that Will was sweet on you?" she went on. "Will Flandin, mother?" An inarticulate note of assent. Diana did not answer, and instead went on with what she had been doing. "Hey?" said Mrs. Starling. "I hope he'll get cured of it, mother, if he is." "Why?" "I don't know why," said Diana, half laughing, "except that he had better be sweet on some one else." "He's a nice fellow." "Yes, I think he is; as they go." "And he'll be very well off, Diana." "He's no match for me, then, mother; for I am well off now." "No, you ain't, child," said Mrs. Starling. "We have enough to live on, but that's all." "What more does anybody want?" "You don't mean what you say, Diana!" cried her mother, turning upon her. "Don't you want to have pretty things, and a nice house, and furniture to suit you, and maybe servants to do your work? I wonder who's particular, if you ain't! Wouldn't you like a nice carriage?" "I like all these things well enough, mother; but they are not the first thing."