Dahlia's lips, so tight the clutch of her hands, that she said: "Dearest,
think of God:" and Dahlia replied: "I do."

"He will not forsake you," Rhoda said.

Dahlia nodded, with shut eyes, and Rhoda went forth.

"And now, Robert, you and I'll see who's master on these premises," said
the farmer. "Hear, all! I'm bounders under a sacred obligation to the
husband of my child, and the Lord's wrath on him who interferes and lifts
his hand against me when I perform my sacred duty as a father. Place
there! I'm going to open the door. Rhoda, see to your sister's bonnet and
things. Robert, stand out of my way. There's no refreshment of any sort
you'll accept of before starting, Mr. Sedgett? None at all! That's no
fault of my hospitality. Stand out of my way, Robert."

He was obeyed. Robert looked at Rhoda, but had no reply for her gaze of
despair.

The farmer threw the door wide open.

There were people in the garden--strangers. His name was inquired for out
of the dusk. Then whisperings were heard passing among the ill-discerned
forms, and the farmer went out to them. Robert listened keenly, but the
touch of Rhoda's hand upon his own distracted his hearing. "Yet it must
be!" he said. "Why does she come here?"

Both he and Rhoda followed the farmer's steps, drawn forth by the
ever-credulous eagerness which arises from an interruption to excited
wretchedness. Near and nearer to the group, they heard a quaint old woman
exclaim: "Come here to you for a wife, when he has one of his own at
home; a poor thing he shipped off to America, thinking himself more
cunning than devils or angels: and she got put out at a port, owing to
stress of weather, to defeat the man's wickedness! Can't I prove it to
you, sir, he's a married man, which none of us in our village knew till
the poor tricked thing crawled back penniless to find him;--and there she
is now with such a story of his cunning to tell to anybody as will
listen; and why he kept it secret to get her pension paid him still on.
It's all such a tale for you to hear by-and-by."

Robert burst into a glorious laugh.

"Why, mother! Mrs. Boulby! haven't you got a word for me?"

"My blessedest Robert!" the good woman cried, as she rushed up to kiss
him. "Though it wasn't to see you I came exactly." She whispered: "The
Major and the good gentleman--they're behind. I travelled down with them.
Dear,--you'd like to know:--Mrs. Lovell sent her little cunning groom
down to Warbeach jus