"Yes, I am afraid I do. It is quite my affair; and you must take no more notice of it: above all, you must not say anything to your father." How much Tod was condemning her in his heart perhaps he would not have cared to tell; but he could but be generous, even to his step-mother. "I suppose I must understand that you are in some sort of trouble?" "Indeed I am." "If it is anything in which I can help you, you have only to ask me to do it," he said. But his manner was lofty as he spoke, his voice had a hard ring in it. "Thank you very much, Joseph," was the meek, grateful answer. "If you will only take no further notice, and say nothing to your father when he comes home, it will be helping me sufficiently." Tod strolled out; just as angry as he could be; and I ran over to the farm. Jane Coney had received a letter from her mother by the afternoon post, saying she might not be home for some days to come. "Tell Mrs. Todhetley that I am sorry to have to send her bad news over and over again," said Jane Coney, who was sitting in the best kitchen, with her muslin sleeves turned up, and a big apron on, stripping fruit for jam. The Coneys had brought up their girls sensibly, not to be ashamed to make themselves thoroughly useful, in spite of their education, and the fair fortune they would have. Mary was married; Jane engaged to be. I sat on the table by her, eating away at the fruit. "What is it Mrs. Todhetley wants with my mother, Johnny?" "As if I knew!" "I think it must be something urgent. When she came in, that morning, only five minutes after mamma had driven off, she was so terribly disappointed, saying she would give a great deal to have spoken to her first. My sister is not quite so well again; that's why mamma is staying longer." "I'll tell her, Jane." "By the way, Johnny, what's this they are saying--about some strange man being seen here? A special constable, peeping after bad characters?" "A special constable?" Jane Coney laughed. "Or a police-officer in disguise. It is what one of our maids told me." "Oh," I answered, carelessly, for somehow I did not like the words; "you must mean a man that is looking at the land; an engineer." "Is that all?" cried Jane Coney. "How foolish people are!" It was a sort of untruth, no doubt; but I should have told a worse in the necessity. I did not like the aspect of things; and they puzzled my brain unpleasantly all the way home. Mrs. Todhetley was at work by the window when I got there. Tod had not made his re-appearance; Hugh and Lena were in bed. She dropped her work when I gave the message. "Not for some days to come yet! Oh, Johnny!" "But what do you want with her?" "Well, I do want her. I want a friend just now, Johnny, that's the truth; and I think Mrs. Coney would be one." "Joe asked if he could help you; and you said 'No.' Can I?" "Johnny, if you could, there's no one in the world I'd rather ask. But you cannot." "Why?"