"I can’t ’ardly believe," said the wife miserably, "that ’e’d do such a thing. ’E’s always been a good-livin’ feller, ’e don’t drink and ’e never seemed to be after the maidens. Can’t think," she said, surrendering the point as proven, "whatever ail the man." The fact that Leadville was capable of using violence to gain his ends had sunk into Mrs. Tom’s mind. She was like an old hen when a hawk is in the blue. "I don’t want to keep Gray ’ome," she said uneasily, "but if Leadville worry the life out of ’er..." Mrs. Byron had rallied from her consternation. At the bottom of her heart she preserved a little doubt. The story was perhaps substantially true, true enough to show in which direction the wind was blowing; but Gray, being a timid maid, the tale had not lost in the telling. "’Tis a pack o’ tommy-rot," she said at last, anger beginning to colour her unhappy amazement, "a man of his years runnin’ after young maidens; but once Gray’s married ’e won’t think no more about it. ’Tis disgraceful of him; and, what’s more, ’tis madness for’m to think she’s goin’ to ’av anything to do wi’ an old man like ’e. Isolda, I do think ’tis time Gray was married." "Iss, my dear, so do I." "Well—why don’t they?" "It mean a good bit o’ money to get married, you know," said Mrs. Tom who, in spite of her alert mind, was not capable of quick decisions, "and one thing more, marrying isn’t horse-jocking." "Why don’t they put the banns in and get married on the quiet?" The other went off on a side issue. "You know," she said, uttering her thoughts aloud, "Leadville’s bound to know one day." "If Gray was to walk in one morning and say ’I’m married,’" continued Mrs. Byron, "what could ’e do then? ’E’d ’av to ’old ’is tongue." The thought of Gray doing anything so bold brought a smile to the mother’s lips. "I’m sure she wouldn’t do that, S’bina." "Well, p’raps she wouldn’t." Mrs. Byron had realized that her friend, in revealing the incident of the lane, had meant to convey a warning. The aunt did not wish to have Gray replaced by the handsome more noisy Richbell and yet... "I feel I belong to speak to Leadville about it," she said reluctantly. "But I don’t want for’n to think I’m always watchin’ ’im." The little doubt as to his having been as guilty as Isolda would have her think, had grown. She could not believe his jumping out of the hedge had been more than a trick, a practical joke. Gray, in her alarm, must have magnified it. These inexperienced girls were as easily frightened as a sheep! A way out of the difficulty occurred to her. "My dear, ’ow would it be if Leonora was to come and stay for a few days?" Mrs. Tom thought that Sabina was only postponing the reckoning which in the long run she would be bound to make, but aloud she gave consent.