"Well, you’m Job’s comforter, but all I can say is you’re both gettin’ upstairs and, after a bit, you’ll settle down all right again. Of course Gray’ll stay ’ome now, until we see what’s to be done. The young folks must please their own minds, then they can’t blame nobody." Sabina agreed, though with some reluctance. "Whatever be I to do without ’er?" "You needn’t trouble yerself about that. Richbell shall come down in the mornin’ and light yer fire and get the breakfast. Iss, and while I think of’t, Tom say you must sure to come up to Hember to spend Christmas. He’ll fetch yer ’isself. The Constantines are comin’, and we shall be all together; and by then, please God, I ’ope Leadville’ll be settled down." "I should like that very much." Her face brightened at the thought of the welcoming faces and the cheer. "I’m sure ’tis good of ’ee to think about it and I’ll bring up something with me. ’Tis years since we’ve spent Christmas together." "My dear, ’tis more’n ten years ago. Now, ’av you told Leadville about Gray?" "I said to’n ’They’re courtin’ an’ll be married very soon an’ I expect they’ll come ’ere to live.’" "What did he say about it, then?" "’E give a nasty grunt-like, ’e did; still ’e’ll get over that. To-morrow I’ll tell’n of ’t; but I don’t feel I could bear any more to-day." "Well, to-morrow’ll do." As she spoke, Byron opened the linhay door. The dancing flames illumined the low-browed room sufficiently, for him to see the two women seated one on each side of the hearth; and with a short mutter of greeting he walked over to the window-bench. "Who brought they groceries back?" "I did," said Mrs. Tom. "Is Gray come back then?" "Gray? She idn’t comin’ back. Me and S’bina ’ve made arrangements for Richbell to come in ’er place." He had suspected the women were plotting against him. He had been conscious of their intangible opposition and a spasm of hatred took him by the throat. He shook in the grip of it. "Why?" Mrs. Tom was resolved that there should be no ill-blood between Hember and Wastralls and her reply was non-committal. "She do dearly love ’er Aunt S’bina but she want to be ’ome." "She’ll soon be back ’ere," asserted Byron. "She’s very grateful for all your kindness but she’d rather live ’ome with me for a bit." "I don’t like changes and I won’t ’av them." "Dear me," said Mrs. Tom placidly, "won’t is a big word!" She turned to the figure in the wicker cone as if, having disposed of one matter, she were ready for another. "Shall I put they groceries in the cupboard for ’ee, S’bina?" Leadville had risen from his seat. They had taken Gray from him and they meant to keep her away. Would she be a consenting party to their scheme? He feared she might, yet if she only knew! Mrs. Tom, tranquil, occupied with household thoughts, seemed to the angry man to possess a tremendous, terrifying power. She could make Gray inaccessible and she would.