"Mrs. Fountain's nobbut sadly, I unnerstan?" "She's rather better again. But I must go to-morrow. Daffady, Cousin Elizabeth won't forget to bring up the letters?" "I niver knew her du sich a thing as thattens," said Daffady, with caution. "And do you happen to know whether Mr. Bayley is coming to supper?" "T' minister'll mebbe coom if t' weather hods up." "Daffady--do you think--that when you don't agree with people about religion--it's right and proper to sit every night--and tear them to pieces?" The colour had suddenly flooded her pale face--her attitude had thrown off languor. Daffady showed embarrassment. "Well, noa, missie--Aa doan't hod--mysen--wi personalities. Yo mun wrastle wi t' sin--an gaa saftly by t' sinner." "Sin!" she said scornfully. Daffady was quelled. "I've allus thowt mysen," he said hastily, "as we'd a dëal to larn from Romanists i' soom ways. Noo, their noshun o' Purgatory--I daurna say a word for 't when t' minister's taakin, for there's noa warrant for 't i' Scriptur, as I can mek oot--bit I'll uphod yo, it's juist handy! Aa've often thowt so, i' my aan preachin. Heaven an hell are verra well for t' foak as are ower good, or ower bad; bit t' moast o' foak--are juist a mish-mash." He shook his head slowly, and then ventured a glance at Miss Fountain to see whether he had appeased her. Laura seemed to rouse herself with an effort from some thoughts of her own. "Daffady--how the sun's shining! I'll go out. Daffady, you're very kind and nice to me--I wonder why?" She laid one of the hands that seemed to the cow-man so absurd upon his arm, and smiled at him. The old man reddened and grunted. She sprang up with a laugh; and the kitchen was instantly filled by a whirlwind of barks from Fricka, who at last foresaw a walk. * * * * * Laura took her way up the fell. She climbed the hill above the farm, and then descended slowly upon a sheltered corner that held the old Browhead Chapel, whereof the fanatical Mr. Bayley--worse luck!--was the curate in charge. She gave a wide berth to the vicarage, which with two or three cottages, embowered in larches and cherry-trees, lay immediately below the chapel. She descended upon the chapel from the fell, which lay wild about it and above it; she opened a little gate into the tiny churchyard, and found a sunny rock to sit on, while Fricka rushed about barking at the tits and the linnets. Under the April sun and the light wind, the girl gave a sigh of pleasure. It was a spot she loved. The old chapel stood high on the side of a more inland valley that descended not to the sea, but to the Greet--a green open vale, made glorious at its upper end by the overpeering heads of great mountains, and falling softly through many folds and involutions to the woods of the Greet--the woods of Bannisdale.