Pamela told, in rather a breathless way, and one strong point in her favour was her visit to Champles to fetch the eggs that were always welcome at the Bell House. Mr. Badger admitted that she had reached Champles before seven o’clock--about a quarter to seven in fact. Badger’s contention seemed to be that she had opened the gates before that--soon after six, because witnesses had seen sheep wandering at half-past six. "I didn’t go that way, Mr. Badger," said Pamela with decision; "I began to climb up from the creek somewhere about six, and went straight to Champles. I came _back_ round the farm and the field where the mare was. No one was about, and I tried for an hour to get the animals home--the mare couldn’t have eaten a great deal; I got her out, but the calves wouldn’t go." "I dunno," said Mr. Badger, with a twinkling eye fixed on the cornice--_one_ on the cornice, that is, _one_ on Mrs. Romilly--"I dunno as I can save that mare; she’s a turrable loss. If she dies the foal’s sure to foller; he’s full young. As for the hay, an’ them sheep----" Mr. Badger believed he had a strong case. He said he could bring witnesses to swear that they saw Pamela about six o’clock going through the Spill land. The witnesses were vague rumour, really, but supposed to be people walking out from Peterock to Bell Ridge and back--these people "had passed a remark" on the subject when the sheep were all over the roads, and remembered a young lady in blue with a long tail of hair, walking in the direction of Peterock. "How could _I_ be going to Peterock, Mother? You _do_ see how improbable it is, don’t you?" Mrs. Romilly was firmer than Mr. Badger had hoped. He had planned a "walk over", and pictured himself returning home with a cheque for at least twenty pounds in his pocket! The fact is that Mrs. Romilly was so convinced of Pamela’s truth herself that she refused to be shaken. "I’m sorry, Mr. Badger," she said; "at the same time, if, as you allow, people were walking out from Peterock to the ridge and back why should not one of them have left your gate insecure? Strangers are careless, we know. As for the young lady in blue with long hair whom they say they saw on the spot--the story is not convincing. They had heard the description of my daughter, and are shielding themselves behind it. I don’t think we need say any more." Mr. Badger went, dismissed icily by Keziah, who upheld the honour of the Bell House as first lieutenant to Mrs. Jeep; at the same time she remarked, in privacy: "I’ve no opinion of Badger, Mrs. Jeep, as you know, but it takes some explaining to see why ever Mr. Adrian and Miss Pamela tell such different tales. Mr. Adrian’s ever so gruff, won’t hardly speak to Miss Pamela, nor Miss Christobel neither, so far as I can see. He _is_ put out."