“Tell your father I miss him, Jagger; and grannie too. I could like to call in and see ’em; but it wouldn’t do. There’s no man’s word has the same weight with me as your father’s, and you can tell him I took his advice and bought stock with most o’ the money I had with Uncle John. Baldwin doesn’t know because uncle made me promise not to tell him. It was easier than I’d thought on to get round uncle, but I’ve always been able to manage him better’n most folks, and he’s paid me out bit by bit until I haven’t above five hundred with him now, and I’m letting that stop.” “Father’s never said aught o’ this to me,” said Jagger. “Was he uneasy about the money, or what?” “Not that I know of; but he knew I was. I can’t tell how it is; but I’ve never been quite comfortable about Uncle John myself. There seems to be money enough, and yet he always looks worried.” “It’s a funny thing,” said Jagger, “’at them ’at have too much seem as badly worried as them ’at have too little. I’ll tell father what you say.” “And Jagger! Ask Hannah to come to see me, I know she’ll scorn me; but she’s a good heart and when she knows mine’s nearly broken she’ll not bear malice. Tell her I want a friend and I haven’t one.” “Yes, you have,” he said, “you’ve _that_, anyway!” “Poor Jagger!” she replied in a low voice. “What a mess we’ve made of it! I’m going now. Don’t follow till I’m out of sight.” She turned away as she spoke and walked quickly up the hill with the darkness gathering around her, and never once looked back. When she had passed through the gate on to the road Jagger also moved away, but in the other direction. Until his form mingled with the shadows on the hillside there was silence in the glen; then a young girl rose cautiously on the farther side of the wall and looked round before she sought the path Nancy had taken. It was Polly Marsden—Swithin’s granddaughter who had been there all the time, disappointed of the company she had expected. “It wasn’t my fault if I heard ’em,” she said to herself, perhaps to quieten the too rapid beating of her heart. “What are ears for if not to hear with?” CHAPTER XIII IN WHICH INMAN PROVES HIMSELF COMPETENT