"Daffady--thoo's naa call to lay doon t' law, on sic matters at aw. Mappen tha'll recolleck t' Bible--headstrong as tha art i' thy aan conceit. Bit t' Bible says 'How can he get wisdom that holdeth the plough--whose taak is o' bullocks?' Aa coom on that yestherday--an A've bin sair exercised aboot thy preachin ever sen!" Daffady held his peace. The clergyman departed, and Daffady went out to the cattle. Laura had not given the red-haired man her hand. She had found it necessary to carry her work upstairs, at the precise moment of his departure. But when he was safely off the premises she came down again to say good-night to her cousins. Oh! they had not been unkind to her these last weeks. Far from it. Mrs. Mason had felt a fierce triumph--she knew--in her broken engagement. Probably at first Cousin Elizabeth had only acquiesced in Hubert's demand that Miss Fountain should be asked to stay at the farm, out of an ugly wish to see the girl's discomfiture for herself. And she had not been able to forego the joy of bullying Mr. Helbeck's late betrothed through Mr. Bayley's mouth. Nevertheless, when this dwindled ghostly Laura appeared, and began to flit through the low-ceiled room and dark passages of the farm--carefully avoiding any talk about herself or her story--always cheerful, self-possessed, elusive--the elder woman began after a little to have strange stirrings of soul towards her. The girl's invincible silence, taken with those physical signs of a consuming pain that were beyond her concealment, worked upon a nature that, as far as all personal life and emotion were concerned, was no less strong and silent. Polly saw with astonishment that fires were lit in the parlour at odd times--that Laura might read or practise. She was amazed to watch her mother put out some little delicacy at tea or supper that Laura might be made to eat. And yet!--after all these amenities, Mr. Bayley would still be asked to supper, and Laura would still be pelted and harried from supper-time till bed. To-night when Laura returned, Mrs. Mason was in a muttering and stormy mood. Daffady had angered her sorely. Laura, moreover, had a letter from Bannisdale, and since it came there had been passing lights in Miss Fountain's eyes, and passing reds on her pale cheeks. As the girl approached her cousin, Mrs. Mason turned upon her abruptly. "Dostha want the cart to-morrow? Daffady said soomat aboot it." "If it could be spared." Mrs. Mason looked at her fixedly. "If Aa was thoo," she said, "Aa'd not flutter ony more roond _that_ can'le!" Laura shrank as though her cousin had struck her. But she controlled herself. "Do you forget my stepmother's state, Cousin Elizabeth?" "Oh!--yo' con aw mak much o' what suits tha!" cried the mistress, as she walked fiercely to the outer door and locked it noisily from the great key-bunch hanging at her girdle.