ng up a weed with his stick, a bony figure turned the corner of
the house and came up to him.

"Christian, isn't it?" said Clym. "I am glad you have found me out.
I shall soon want you to go to Blooms-End and assist me in putting
the house in order. I suppose it is all locked up as I left it?"

"Yes, Mister Clym."

"Have you dug up the potatoes and other roots?"

"Yes, without a drop o' rain, thank God. But I was coming to tell 'ee
of something else which is quite different from what we have lately
had in the family. I am sent by the rich gentleman at the Woman, that
we used to call the landlord, to tell 'ee that Mrs. Wildeve is doing
well of a girl, which was born punctually at one o'clock at noon,
or a few minutes more or less; and 'tis said that expecting of this
increase is what have kept 'em there since they came into their
money."

"And she is getting on well, you say?"

"Yes, sir. Only Mr. Wildeve is twanky because 'tisn't a boy--that's
what they say in the kitchen, but I was not supposed to notice that."

"Christian, now listen to me."

"Yes, sure, Mr. Yeobright."

"Did you see my mother the day before she died?"

"No, I did not."

Yeobright's face expressed disappointment.

"But I zeed her the morning of the same day she died."

Clym's look lighted up. "That's nearer still to my meaning," he said.

"Yes, I know 'twas the same day; for she said, 'I be going to see him,
Christian; so I shall not want any vegetables brought in for dinner.'"

"See whom?"

"See you. She was going to your house, you understand."

Yeobright regarded Christian with intense surprise. "Why did you
never mention this?" he said. "Are you sure it was my house she was
coming to?"

"O yes. I didn't mention it because I've never zeed you lately. And
as she didn't get there it was all nought, and nothing to tell."

"And I have been wondering why she should have walked in the heath
on that hot day! Well, did she say what she was coming for? It is a
thing, Christian, I am very anxious to know."

"Yes, Mister Clym. She didn't say it to me, though I think she did to
one here and there."

"Do you know one person to whom she spoke of it?"

"There is one man, please, sir, but I hope you won't mention my name
to him, as I have seen him in strange places, particular in dreams.
One night last summer he glared at me like Famine and Sword, and it
made me feel so low that I didn't comb out my few hairs for two days.
He was stand