'This 'ere game of tether-ball,' he said, 'fair makes me giddy.' 'Jack,' said Hazel when he had gone, 'Martha said there was a woman here.' 'Martha's a liar.' 'Hanna there bin?' 'No. Never anyone but you.' 'Hanna you bin fond of anyone?' 'Only you.' 'She said there was a woman as had a lot of little children, as was yours.' 'Damn her!' 'And I thought she's ought to live along of you, and to be married-like, and wear the green dress.' 'No one shall wear that but you, nor have my children but you.' She was, as he had calculated, entirely overwhelmed, and so startled that she forgot to question him any more. 'Oh, no,' she said; 'that'll never be.' He raised his eyebrows at her extraordinary denseness, but he judged it best to say no more. He must get rid of Sally. He supposed she would make him pay heavily. He was sick of the sight of her and the children. They were not nice children. He looked at Hazel contemplatively. If his conjecture was right, he would have to try and legalize things during the next few months. He badly wanted a son--born in wedlock. He would have to go and beg the parson to divorce her. It would be detestable, but it would have to be done. He would wait and see. Meanwhile, Vessons also made plans, his obstinate mouth and pear-shaped face more dour than ever. Hazel had a letter from Edward in the morning; it was very short. She could not tell what he thought of her. He only said that if she ever wanted help she was to come to him. She cried over it, and hid it away. She knew how well Edward would have looked as he wrote it. She knew he would be grieved. She had not the slightest idea that he would be utterly overwhelmed and wrecked. She had not the least notion how he felt for her. She was very glad to be away from Mrs. Marston and Martha. She found this household of two men a great rest after the two women, although Vessons did not relax his disapproval. If it had not been for her passionate spiritual longing for Edward, she would have been happy, for the deep law of her being was now fulfilled in thus returning to Reddin. He, for his part, liked to see her about. Roses appeared in the rooms; it was strange to him, who had never had a woman in his house, to find his bedroom scented with flowers. He liked to watch her doing her hair. He always pretended to be asleep in the morning, so that she should get up first--shyly anxious to be dressed before he awoke. So morning after morning he would watch her through his eyelashes. He never felt that, as she obviously wished for privacy, he was mean or indelicate. 'I've got a right to. She's mine,' was his idea. It was not till a week after Hazel's coming that Reddin pulled himself together, and went to interview Sally Haggard. Vessons, observing the fact, repaired to Sally's cottage on his master's return, and found her in tears. To see this heavy-browed, big-boned woman crying so startled him that he contemplated her in silence.