a bit o' farm fare."

"But she ought to be thankful to us, mother?"

"And so she will be, Ram?"

"But you make me speak as though we were to be much obliged to her for
taking all these good things."

"You take the basket, and hold your tongue. Father's right, you chatter
a deal too much."

Ram took the basket, grunted because it was so heavy, and then set off
up the hill-slope towards where the patch of thick woodland capped one
side of the deep valley, and at last came in sight of a grim-looking
stone house, with its windows for the most part covered by their
drawn-down blinds. Under other circumstances, with fairly kept gardens
and trim borders, the old-fashioned building, dating from the days of
Henry the Seventh, would have been attractive enough, with its
background of trees, and fine view along the valley out to the
far-stretching blue sea; but poverty seemed to have set its mark upon
the place, and the boy was so impressed by the gloomy aspect of the
house, that he ceased whistling as he went across the front, outside the
low wall, and round to the back, where his progress was stopped by the
scampering of feet, and a dog came up, barking loudly.

"Get out, or I'll jump on you--d'ye hear?" said Ram fiercely.

"Down, Grip, down!" cried a pleasant voice, and a girl of fifteen came
running out, looking bright and animated with her flushed cheeks and
long hair.

"Don't be afraid of him, Ram; he will not bite."

"I'm not afraid of him, Miss Celia; if he'd tried to bite me, I'd have
kicked him into the back-garden."

"You would not dare to," cried the girl indignantly.

"Oh yes, I would," said Ram, showing his white teeth. "Wouldn't do for
me to be 'fraid of no dogs."

The girl half turned away, but her eye caught the basket.

"What's that you came to sell?" she said.

"Sell? I don't come to sell. Father and mother sent this here. It's
butter, and chickuns, and pork, and cream, and eggs."

"Oh!" cried the girl joyously, "my mother will be so--"

She stopped short, remembering sundry lessons she had received, and the
tears came up into her eyes as she felt that she must be proud and not
show her delight at the receipt of homely delicacies to which they were
strangers.

"Take your basket to the side door, and deliver your message to Keziah,"
she said distantly.

"Yes, miss," said Ram, beginning to whistle, as he strode along with his
basket, but he turned back directly and followed the girl.