“Nay, now,” returned grammer, clutching him by the arm, “bide a bit, bide a bit. Don’t be in sich a hurry. P’raps there’s a little mistake.” “There’s a mistake, an’ not such a very little one,” replied Sol, indignantly. “You was a-lookin’ for another tranter, I reckon,” resumed grammer, archly. “Maybe you was a-lookin’ for Tranter Sally.” “Maybe I was,” admitted Sol, relaxing. “She’s my granddarter,” remarked the old lady. “Oh!” said Sol, stiffening again. “She needn’t ha’ served me sich a trick then,” he added somewhat inconsequently. “She needn’t ha’ made a fool o’ me! Any man mid be made a fool on that way.” “True,” agreed Mrs Roberts soothingly, “you was made a fool on, jist about!” “I d’ ’low I’ll get out now,” announced Sol for the second time, with sulky dignity. “No, no, bide a bit. ’Tis lwonely here, an’ ye know ye did promise to take care of I—he, he, he!” After a moment’s struggle Sol, too, broke forth into irrepressible laughter, and as the cart jolted over the downs the mingled sounds of their mirth astonished the sleepy wild things. Mrs Roberts was the first to compose herself. “So you be a-earnin’ sixteen shillin’ a week!” she remarked, sitting up and wiping her eyes. “Yes, sixteen shillin’ a week and the promise of a rise.” “We’ve a-got a nice little place down yonder,” resumed grammer; “a tidy bit o’ ground, too, but it wants a man to see to’t.” “Oh, do it?” said Sol, in a non-committal way. “It do! Ye haven’t got no money saved, I think ye said?” “Mrs Roberts,” cried Sal desperately, “will ye tell me straight out, or will ye not? Be there another chap a-hanging round Sally?” “Ye’d best ax her!” chuckled the old woman. “Ax her same as ye did ax me, an’ tell her if she means ‘no’ she must say it. We be just there now.” The cart, indeed, now began to rattle down the path which led to the hollow, and presently Mrs Roberts pulled up. “Bide there,” she whispered in Sol’s ear, “bide where ye be, an’ I’ll send her out to ye.” “Must I unhitch Di’mond?” enquired Sally, appearing at the open door. The firelight from within turned her fair hair to gold and outlined her slight figure. Sol felt the last trace of resentment melt as he looked at her. “E-es, you can unhitch, my dear; an’ there’s a bit o’ rubbish in the cart what ye can have if ye fancy.” “A bit o’ rubbish!” ejaculated the girl, pausing on the threshold. “E-es, a bit o’ rubbish what was give me, but what I haven’t got no use for—so I make a present of en to you, my dear.” And with that Grammer Roberts clambered down, and hurried into the house, exploding with laughter as she went. Though she was discreet enough to leave the young couple to their own devices, she could not wholly conquer her curiosity as to the issue between them, and, pausing just behind the door, listened eagerly. A startled cry, a man’s voice talking eagerly, a peal of laughter—and then silence.