“She did though! And she’ll carry on her antics up in the churchyard yonder--you know the churchyard up Sweetbriar Lane?--she’d as soon play off her tricks there as on the Downs. Even when she was a little bit of a maid she’d never run past the lychgate same as the other children--she’d go a-swingin’ round the pillars or a-climbin’ on the trestles, or she’d maybe pop through the gate and put her face up again the bars and dare David to kiss her. He dursn’t go nigh the place, poor boy, an’ she knowed that very well.” “Well, well!” sighed Susan Ball, “I wouldn’t like to say nothin’ unkind o’ your granddaughter, Mrs. Legg, but ’tis to be hoped as she’ll not come to a bad end, mum.” “’Tis to be hoped so,” agreed Mrs. Legg, “but there’s no knowin’.” She echoed Susan’s sigh but smiled the while; indeed it was evident that she looked on the misdemeanours of Rebecca with a certain tolerance, one might almost say satisfaction, as distinguishing her from the ordinary run of maidens. Meanwhile Rebecca and David, having finished a somewhat discursive progress up Sweetbriar Lane, emerged on the Downs beyond. Here Rebecca took up a position on a sunny little gorse-crowned hillock and despatched him to a neighbouring copse with orders to collect some of the wild strawberries which grew there in abundance. Nearly a score of journeys did David make to and from that copse, while Rebecca fanned herself with a beech-branch and gibed at him for his slowness. “I do ’low you do eat more nor you do pick,” she remarked at last. David stood stock still, indignant and disheartened. “There’s no pleasin’ ye!” he cried. “I haven’t so much as ate one.” “No more have I then!” exclaimed Rebecca; and uplifting her beechen fan she proudly showed him a pile of the ruddy berries neatly arranged on a flat stone beside her. “There, you be to eat ’em all!” she announced with an imperative wave of the hand, “I did save ’em up for ye.” “You must have half,” said he. But Rebecca shook her head. He sat down beside her on the short turf and placed the stone between them. “Certain sure you must have some of ’em,” he cried. “I shan’t care to eat ’em if you don’t.” “You be to eat ’em all,” reiterated Rebecca; “I’d like to watch ye.” “Nay now, you must taste one,” said David, and leaning forward tenderly he endeavoured to force one into her mouth. But thereupon Rebecca set her little white teeth, jerked back her head, and uplifting a small but vigorous hand slapped his face with all her might. “I won’t have ’em neither then!” cried he, flushing hotly and clambering to his feet. “You do go too far, you do.” “I do go too far, do I?” retorted the freakish sprite. “Let’s go home then.” Too much wounded to protest, David turned about and walked sulkily beside her as she tripped down the lane. “A body never knows where to have ’ee, maidie,” he complained after a pause. “There’s times when you do seem so sweet as honey, and next minute I fair wonder if you do care a pin for me.”