"I don't know--yet I do. There's some things you feel. I don't think I could have loved him if I hadn't known he loved me first. Could I?" "He's never said it, however?" "A man's eyes and ways say things." "Don't you talk like this to anybody but me, Dinah," urged Mr. Bamsey. "Not likely. Is it wrong?" "I'm moving in the matter; I'm moving," he answered. "You can't hide much from me, and already I've had Maynard in my thoughts." "You haven't?" "Yes. I've seen a very good, common friend. And I'll tell you this. I sounded Mr. Withycombe--the bed-lier. The young man often goes of a Sunday to see him, and Enoch thinks well of him. But more than that. He's spoke cautious with Maynard, and Maynard likes you. He granted you was out of the common, in fact a remarkable pattern of woman." She had his arm and her own tightened upon it. "Foster-father!" "So enough said. And now you'll understand why I'm marking time. The rest be in the hands of God. You keep out of his way for a bit--Maynard, I mean; and we'll watch how it goes." "Nothing else matters now," she said. "A lot matters now; but what matters be up to him." "I didn't think it was possible to be so happy as I be this minute, foster-father." "Put it out of your mind, however, so far as nature will let you. We be groping in the dark." "No, no--it's all light--all light now." "So far as he's concerned, we be in the dark," he repeated. "No doubt the time's near when he'll offer for you, Dinah. And then he's got to come to me. I remember the first evening he was to Green Hayes, and seemed a thought under the weather and a little doubtful about his Maker. I said he'd got a grievance against life, and I must hear all about that grievance, if such there is." "You'll never hear anything but the truth from him. He wouldn't do anything that you wouldn't like. I'm feared of him in a way. He's very strict and very stern sometimes. He's not what you call easy on wrongful doing. He's better'n me." "That no man ever was, or will be," said Ben. "I'm very glad you came to me with this; for if you'd hung off much longer, I'd have had to see the man. Now I shan't, and I'm not sorry. We know where we stand, because you'm so open-minded, thank God, along with me. But we don't know--at least we can't be sure we know--where he stands. It's up to Mr. Maynard to unfold his feelings. And for sure he very soon will." "And why should you reckon he advised me to be off from here so soon as I could?" asked Dinah again. "Queerly enough I liked him for saying it, and yet--yet you might think there might be a frosty reason." "There might be. Time will show. You can't be off till we've found the proper place for you to be off to. Now you run home about your chores. Mother wants you in the garden. There's the last lot of rasps to be picked. I didn't count on no more, but I was surprised to see enough to market yet."