gratitude in her, and a bit of proper feeling, she'll
think first of what she owes to her only relations living."

"Well, you ought to 'a told her how useful she was if you wanted her to
know it," said Mr Greenways. "You've always gone on the other tack and
told her she was no good at all. I shouldn't blame her if she wanted to
try if she could please other folks better."

There was so much truth in this, that in spite of Mrs Greenways' anger
it sank deeply into her mind. Why had she not made more of Lilac? What
should she do, if the child, with the consent of her uncle and
encouraged by Mrs Leigh, were to choose to leave the farm? It was not
unlikely, for although she had not been actively unkind to Lilac she had
never tried to make her happy at the farm; her jealousy had prevented
that. And then, the money--that would be a great temptation; and the
offer of it seemed to raise Lilac's value enormously. In short, now
that someone else wanted her, and was willing to pay for her services,
she became twice as important in Mrs Greenways' eyes. One by one the
various duties rose before her which Lilac fulfilled, and which would be
left undone if she went away. She sat silent for a few minutes in moody
thought.

"I didn't say nothing certain to Mrs Leigh," she remarked at length,
"but I did mention as how we'd never had any thought of Lilac taking
service, no more nor Agnetta or Bella."

"Lor', Ma!" said Bella, "the ideer!"

"All the same," said the farmer, "when we first took Lilac we said we'd
keep her till she was old enough for a place. The child's made herself
of use, and you don't want to part with her. That's the long and the
short of it. But I stand by what I say. She shall settle it as she
likes. She shall go to Mrs Leigh and hear about it, and then no one
shan't say a word to her, for or against. When's she got to decide?"

"In a week," answered his wife. "But you're doing wrong, Greenways, you
hadn't ought to put it on the child's shoulders; it's us as ought to
decide for her, us as are in the place of her father and mother. She's
too young to know what's for her good."

"I stand by what I say," repeated the farmer, and he slapped the table
with his hand. Mrs Greenways knew then that it was useless to oppose
him further, and the conversation came to an end.

Now, when the matter was made known to Lilac, it seemed more like a
dream than anything real. She had become so used to remain in t