"Ay, he was right kind," she said in a matter-of-fact tone, "and I will say this for him that he seemed to know his job. I’ve had my doubts for a while there was summat badly wrong. I don’t know as it’s news to me, after all. As for yon operation he says might do summat for me, I doubt I’m over old. We’ve no brass for notions o’ that sort, neither, come to that." "There’s hospitals," May said,--"homes and suchlike where they take you free. Plenty of folk go to ’em, even at your age, and they’d see to you well enough, I’m sure." "Ay, doctor said that an’ all," Sarah assented, though in an uninterested tone. "But I’d only take badly to they sort o’ spots now," she added, sipping her tea. "I’d be marching out agen, likely, as soon as ever I’d set my foot inside of the door." "They say folks settle wonderfully when they’ve made up their minds. It’s worth a bit of trouble, if they put you right." "Happen," Sarah said casually, and withdrew it at once. "I don’t know as it is." "You’re down, that’s what it is. You’ll feel better after a bit." "I don’t know as I shall." "You’ll feel different about it in a day or two. You’d come through it right as a bobbin. You’ve pluck enough for ten." "Ay, well, I can’t settle it one way or t’other," Sarah said stubbornly, turning a deaf ear. "Things is a bit ham-sam just now," she added evasively, fiddling with her cup, and wondering why she could not bring herself to announce that they were leaving the farm. But as long as they did not speak of it, it was just as if nothing had happened, as though the words which had framed the decision had never been said. And yet at that very moment Simon was probably telling Will and Mr. Dent, and the news would be racing its way round Witham until it came to Eliza’s ear.... "We’ll work it some way," May urged, not knowing of the big pause that had come into Sarah’s life. "You may have to get a word put in for you, but that’s easy done. I’ll see the Squire and Mrs. Wilson and maybe a few more, and it’ll be all fixed up without you putting yourself about." "You’re right kind, you are that." "It’s worth it," May said again. "Ay ... I don’t know..." Sarah answered her absently, and then sat up straight. "It’d ha’ been worth it once," she broke out suddenly, as if letting herself go. "There was a time when I’d a deal sooner ha’ been dead than blind, but it don’t matter much now. There’s not that much left as I care to look at, I’m sure. It’s the eyes make the heart sore more nor half the time. But I’d ha’ felt badly about it if Geordie was coming back, and I couldn’t ha’ framed to see his face."