A new sound in the lane made them both turn their heads. Young Hurd had just ridden up and was fastening his pony to the fence. He looked across at them curiously, and Letty retreated precipitately into the house. A moment or two later he came up the narrow path, frowning at Macheson over the low hedge of foxgloves and cottage roses, and barely returning his courteous greeting. For a moment he hesitated, however, as though about to speak. Then, changing his mind, he passed on and entered the farmhouse. He met Mrs. Foulton herself in the passage, and she welcomed him with a smiling face. "Good morning, Mr. Hurd, sir!" she exclaimed, plucking at her apron. "Won't you come inside, sir, and sit down? The parlour's let to Mr. Macheson there, but he's out in the garden, and he won't mind your stepping in for a moment. And how's your father, Mr. Hurd? Wonderful well he was looking when I saw him last." The young man followed her inside, but declined a chair. "Oh! the governor's all right, Mrs. Foulton," he answered. "Never knew him anything else. Good weather for the harvest, eh?" "Beautiful, sir!" Mrs. Foulton answered. "Were you wanting to speak to John, Mr. Stephen? He's about the home meadow somewhere, or in the orchard. I can send a boy for him, or perhaps you'd step out." "It's you I came to see, Mrs. Foulton," the young man said, "and 'pon my word, I don't like my errand much." Mrs. Foulton was visibly anxious. "There's no trouble like, I hope, sir?" she began. "Oh! it's nothing serious," he declared reassuringly. "To tell you the truth, it's about your lodger." "About Mr. Macheson, sir!" the woman exclaimed. "Yes! Do you know how long he was proposing to stay with you?" "He's just took the rooms for another week, sir," she answered, "and a nicer lodger, or one more quiet and regular in his habits, I never had or wish to have. There's nothing against him, sir--surely?" "Nothing personal--that I know of," Hurd answered, tapping his boots with his riding-whip. "The fact of it is, he has offended Miss Thorpe-Hatton, and she wants him out of the place." "Well, I never did!" Mrs. Foulton exclaimed in amazement. "Him offend Miss Thorpe-Hatton! So nice-spoken he is, too. I'm sure I can't imagine his saying a wry word to anybody." "He has come to Thorpe," Hurd explained, "on an errand of which Miss Thorpe-Hatton disapproves, and she does not wish to have him in the place. She knows that he is staying here, and she wishes you to send him away at once." Mrs. Foulton's face fell. "Well, I'm fair sorry to hear this, sir," she declared. "It's only this morning that he spoke for the rooms for another week, and I was glad and willing enough to let them to him. Well I never did! It does sound all anyhow, don't it, sir, to be telling him to pack up and go sudden-like!"