m not going to be off my bargain with
Buckle whatever you do."

He shook his reins and jogged slowly away to another part of the field,
while Peter fell steadily to work again with his pitchfork. Lilac was
packing the things that had been used into her basket, and glanced at
him now and then with her thoughts full of what she had just heard. Her
opinion of Peter had changed very much lately. She had found, since her
first conversation with him, that in many things he was not stupid but
wise. He knew for instance a great deal about all the animals on the
farm, their ways and habits, and how to treat them when they were ill.
There were some matters to be sure in which he was laughably simple, and
might be deceived by a child, but there were others on which everyone
valued his opinion. His father certainly deferred to him in anything
connected with the live stock, and when Peter had discovered a grave
defect in the colt he did not dream of disputing it. So Lilac's feeling
of pity began to change into something like respect, and she was sure
too that Peter was anxious to show her kindness, though the expression
of it was difficult to him. Since the day when he had gone away from
her so suddenly, frightened by her tears, they had had several talks
together, although the speech was mostly on Lilac's side. She shrank
from him no longer, and sometimes when the real Peter came up from the
depths where he lay hidden, and showed a glimpse of himself through the
dull mask, she thought him scarcely ugly.

Would he sell None-so-pretty? She knew what it would cost him, for
since Ben's history she had observed the close affection between them.
There were not so many people fond of Peter that he could afford to lose
even the love of a cow--and yet he would rather do it than let the colt
be sold!

As she turned this over in her mind Lilac lingered over her
preparations, and when Peter came near her tossing the hay to right and
left with his strong arms, she looked up at him and said:

"I'm sorry about None-so-pretty."

Peter stopped a moment, took off his straw hat and rubbed his hot red
face with his handkerchief.

"Thank yer," he answered; "so am I."

"Is it _certain sure_ you'll sell her?" asked Lilac.

Peter nodded. "She'll have a good home yonder," he said; "a rare fuss
they'll make with her."

"She'll miss you though," said Lilac, shaking her head.

"Well," answered Peter, "I shouldn't wonder if she did look o