Rhoda led the way and they approached the house. White pigeons and blue circled round about the eaves, and sweet peat smoke drifted from the chimney. A scrap of vegetable garden protected from the east by a high wall, lay beside the dwelling, and even unexpected flowers--gifts from the valleys--made shift to live and blossom here. Aubrietias struggled in the stones by the garden path, and a few Michaelmas daisies, now in the sere, also prospered there. Sarah Bowden herself, and only she, looked after the flowers. They were a sort of pleasure to her--especially the daffodils that speared through the black earth and hung out their orange and lemon and silver in spring. Walls of piled peat and stone surrounded the garden, and the grey face of the Warren House opened upon it. At present the garden and porch were full of rabbit baskets packed for market. One could only see rows and rows of little hind pads stained brown by the peat. Mr. Bowden was doing figures at a high desk in the corner of the kitchen, and his wife sat by the fire mending clothes. Rhoda left Mrs. Stanbury with them and went out again to the boys. Sarah Bowden had grown round-backed with crouching over many babies. She loved them and everything to do with them. Had Nature permitted it, she would gladly have begun to bear another family. Now she picked up her skirt and dusted a chair. "Don’t, please, demean yourself on my account," said Constance Stanbury. "I’ve come from master. As you know, my dear, there’s something in the wind, and Bartholomew thought that perhaps you’d be so kind as to spare the time and tell me a little how it strikes you and what you feel about it." "Fetch out elderberry wine and seedy cake," said Elias. "Mrs. Stanbury must have bit and sup. She’ve come a rough road." "No, no. No occasion, I’m sure. Don’t let me put you to no trouble, Sarah." "Very pleased," said Mrs. Bowden. "’Tis about David and your maiden you be here, of course?" "So it is then. My children ain’t nothing out of the common, you must know--haven’t got more sense than, please God, they should have. But all the same Margaret’s a very good, fearless girl, and kind-hearted you might say, even." "Kind-hearted! Why, her name’s knowed all up the countryside for kindness," said Mrs. Bowden. "She’s a proper fairy, and we be very fond of her, ban’t we, Elias?" "Yes," said Mr. Bowden. "She’s got every vartue but cash." "She’m to have twenty-five pounds on her wedding-day, however. Of course to people like you, with large ideas about money, such a figure be very small; but her father’s put it by for her year after year, and she’ll have it." "Well done, Stanbury!" said Mr. Bowden.