He read her like a book and smiled at the artlessness of her arts. Yet how cruel she could be because she thought more for others than of herself! Use had strengthened her original nature by binding its second nature upon her. She arranged, comforted, disciplined, befriended, the whole household at Old Lafer; and he, who knew of what contradictious elements it consisted, knew too that she had lost sight of self in determined efforts to control them to unity and concord. This had made her old for her years, and she unconsciously treated as younger many who were older than herself, a grievance with which he had once charged her. But she had not understood. The knitting of her brows as she puzzled over it made him laugh at last. He told her emotion would have to teach her his meaning, and the question, who would rouse that emotion, had since disquieted himself. Borlase had been to the Mires to see old Hartas Kendrew. It was a name which clouded Anna's face for a moment, and made him avoid glancing at her as he uttered it. But the next moment she turned to him with the brightest of smiles. 'Did you ever hear of the burying he and his wife once went to?' she said. 'It was when buryings were buryings and finished off with rum. It had poured with rain all day and the waters were out. Jinny and Hartas had to cross a beck. They rode pillion and they were both drowsy, and it was comfortable to know the horse would find its own way home. They forgot the beck would be out, and could not hear its roar for the wind. Suddenly Jinny woke, feeling very cold, and saying "Not a drap more, thank you kindly, not a drap more." They were in the water, and it was the flood at their lips, not another glass of rum.' 'Good Heavens, what a shave! Did they get out?' said Borlase. 'Oh no! both were washed away and drowned.' 'But Hartas----?' 'Yes. He lived to tell the tale.' 'Then his wife was drowned? Well, he did cleverly to scramble out.' 'No.' Borlase suddenly awoke to find himself puzzled. He looked suspiciously at Anna, walking unconcernedly beside him with her head averted. 'Then why did you say they were?' he asked. 'Why did you ask, when you had seen one of them in the flesh an hour ago?' said Anna, laughing. Borlase was silent. The indictment was too obvious; another point for the dissection of his inner consciousness. 'One's imagination always flies to a catastrophe rather than good fortune,' said Anna. 'Not always,' said Borlase sharply. 'I never imagined on the moor to-night that Mr. Severn would be away after market at Wonston and I could not spend the evening with you.' 'But why not?' said Anna. 'I asked you and I told you of my new song. I thought as you declined you were in a hurry home.' 'If I had been in a hurry home I should have been there now.' It was Anna's turn to be silent. Her resources suddenly seemed exhausted, the argument attenuated.