At first Hillary was in a bad temper, disinclined for conversation, and unable to retaliate upon Kate; but by degrees his old cheerfulness returned, and he received and replied to her banter with what readiness he possessed. One day he came into the cottage with a hay-fork over his shoulder. ’You maidens,’ he said, ’come along to the hay-field. We want help badly. Bring the little ones and let them romp and eat cake. Whilst the sun shines we must make hay.’ Honor, without a word, rose and folded her work. ’If you can toss hay as you can toss chaff,’ said the young man addressing Kate, ’you will be useful indeed.’ ’Larry, it is reported that your uncle Langford will not save hay till it has been rained on well. "If it be too good," he argues, "the cows will eat too much of it." Your wit is ricked like Langford’s hay; it is weak and washed out. A little goes a long way with those who taste it.’ A happy and merry party in the hay field, women and girls tossing the hay into cocks, and the men with the waggon collecting it and carrying it home. The air was fragrant with the scent. In a corner under a hedge were a barrel of cider, and blue and white musts, and a basketful of saffron-cake. Whoever was thirsty went to the cider cask, whoever was hungry helped himself to the plum loaf. The field rang with laughter, and occasional screams, as a man twisted a cord of hay, cast the loop round a girl’s neck, drew her head towards him and kissed her face. That is called ’the making of sweet hay.’ Honor worked steadily. No one ventured to make ’sweet hay’ with her, and Kate was too much on the alert, though one or two young men slyly crept towards her with twisted bands. The little ones were building themselves nests of hay, and burying one another, and jumping over haycocks, and chasing each other with bands, to catch and kiss, in imitation of their elders. Hillary turned in his work and looked at Honor and Kate, hoping that the former would commend his diligence, and that the latter would give him occasion for a joke. But Honor was too much engrossed in her raking, and had too little idea of necessary work being lauded as a virtue; and the latter was looking at Samuel Voaden, who had come over from Swaddledown to help his neighbour—the haysel at home being over. When the half-laden waggon drew up near where Honor was raking, Hillary said to her in a low tone, ’I have been working ever since the dew was off the grass.’ ’I suppose so, Larry,’ ’I have been working very hard.’ ’Of course you have, Larry.’ ’And I am very hot.’ ’I do not doubt it.’ ’How cool you are, Honor!’ ’I—cool!’ she looked at him with surprise. ’On the contrary, I am very warm.’ She had no perception that he pleaded for praise. ’Larry,’ said Kate, ’you were right to press us into service. It will rain to-morrow.’ ’How do you know that?’ ’Because you are working to-day.’