"Nay, you’re right there," she took them up eagerly, "you’re right enough! ’Tisn’t natural to be so quiet. I’ll tell you what it is," she added impressively, "it’s one o’ two things, that’s all. It’s either a lie from beginning to end, or else--or else--well, it’s our Jim!" She pushed her chair further still, and got hurriedly to her feet. "Ay, well, whichever it is, I’d best see for myself," she added quickly. "You’ll not mind me leaving you, Mrs. Addison, just for a little while? I don’t know as we’re doing right to leave Sarah so long alone. She’s getting a bit of an old body now, you know, and she was never that strong in her poor head." She departed noisily after this surprisingly sympathetic speech, and Sarah, hearing her heavy step along the passage, chuckled for the last time. Her mind braced itself for the coming contest with a grim excitement that was almost joy. Nothing could have been more unlike her attitude of the morning in the inn-yard. She lay back in her chair again and closed her eyes, and was rocking peacefully when Eliza opened the door. Just for the moment the sight of the tranquil figure gave her pause, but neither sleep nor its greater Counterpart could still Eliza for very long. "Feeling more like yourself, are you, Sarah?" she enquired cautiously, peering in, and then repeated the question when she got no answer. Finally, irritated by the other’s immobility which was obviously not sleep, she entered the room heavily, shutting the door with a sharp click. "There’s nowt amiss, from the look of you," she added loudly, as she advanced. Sarah exclaimed, "Eh now, whatever’s yon!" at the sound of the harsh voice, and sat up stiffly, winking her blind eyes. She even turned her head and blinked behind, as if she thought the voice had come out of the grandfather’s clock. "Nay, I’ll do now, thank ye," she answered politely, discovering Eliza’s whereabouts with a show of surprise. "It’ll be about time we were thinking of getting off." Eliza, however, had no intention of parting with her just yet. She stopped her hastily when she tried to rise. "Nay, now, there isn’t that much hurry, is there?" she demanded sharply. "Yon old horse o’ yourn’ll barely have stretched his legs. Your master and mine’d have a deal to say to each other an’ all." She paused a moment, creaking from foot to foot, and staring irresolutely at the mask-like face. "You talked a deal o’ stuff in t’other room, Sarah," she broke out at last, "but I reckon you meant nowt by it, after all?" Sarah wanted to chuckle again, but was forced to deny herself the pleasure. For appearance’ sake she stiffened her back, and bristled a little at Eliza’s tone. "Ay, but I did!" she retorted briskly, her voice firm. "Whatever else should I mean, I’d like to know?" The strong hope that had sprung in Eliza’s heart died down again before this brazen show.