The sun had set, but earth and heaven were still glorious with his passing; from blooming hedge, fragrant meadow and open down stole a thousand scents that seemed but to strengthen as the shadows fell, a mingled sweetness upon the warm, still air; borne to his ears came the lowing of cows calling to be milked, the plod of horses jingling stablewards, friendly voices murmurous with distance, and an intermittent rustling in the opposite hedge. And Sir John, seated beside the old stile, breathing this warm and fragrant air and hearkening to these peaceful sounds, was none the less suddenly chilled by an intuitive sense of impending evil and turned instinctively to glance towards the opposite hedge where it grew very dense and high, shutting the road from the little spinney beyond. Watching this, it seemed that something crouched there, a something that moved stealthily ever and anon; and there grew within him an uncomfortable feeling that he was watched by unseen eyes, and with this, a consciousness of ever-growing peril. So he sat with head bowed as one in thought, but with eyes keenly watchful and ears heedful of that intermittent rustling so soft and yet so purposeful. For some while he remained thus, his every faculty alert though the leafy stir had ceased and nothing to be heard except the plaintive evensong of the birds.... And yet, was there something that moved again beyond the hedge, something that crept nearer and ever nearer with a dreadful patient slowness? A dog? No! A sheep? Perhaps! A man? Well, whatever it was, would soon be directly opposite where he sat, surely it was there already. Once again came a sound of stealthy movement as of something gently forcing itself a passage towards him through the hedge itself.... Sir John cocked the small pistol in his pocket and waited, his eyes grown suddenly fierce. A dog barked in the distance, a sheep-bell tinkled faintly ... and then was a sound of light footsteps near by and Ann Dumbrell came slowly along the lane and paused near by, her gaze intent upon some distant point, as one who awaited an expected presence; then Sir John, himself unseen where he crouched, beheld her start, saw her hands clasp each other, heard the fall of quick-striding feet that paused suddenly and then came on again, but more slowly. “Why, ’tis never you, Mus’ Doubleday?” she exclaimed as one amazed by some phenomenon. “None other, Mrs. Ann,” answered the Corporal, halting and surveying her shy loveliness with gloomy eyes. “You see,” he explained, “it so happens as I ... chanced to be ... coming this way and ... well, here I am, mam!” “Yes, Mus’ Doubleday. An’ us be arlways pleased to see ’ee whenever it be ... though granfer bean’t in yet.... I—I were just agoing tu look for ’e. An’ ’ow be you, sir?” “As well as can be expected!” he sighed dismally. “Lord love me, Mrs. Ann, but ye look younger than ever this evening!” “But I be older than I were this marnin’, sir.”