ing day and night. She almost blamed the baby for everything.
Perhaps she would not have lost her lover if it had not been for the
baby. Perhaps he knew what a trouble it would be, and wanted to be rid
of her before it came, and that was why he had gone away. The night Joan
had brought her home she had taken care of the child, and told Liz to
sit down and rest, and had sat down herself with the small creature in
her arms, and after watching her for a while, Liz had broken out into
sobs, and slipped down upon the floor at her feet, hiding her wretched,
pretty face upon her friend's knee.

"I canna abide the sight o' it," she cried. "I canna see what it wur
born fur, mysen. I wish I'd deed when I wur i' Lunnon--when _he_ cared
fur me. He wor fond enow o' me at th' first. He could na abide me to be
out o' his sight. I niv-ver wur so happy i' my life as I wur then. Aye!
I did na think then, as th' toime ud come when he'd cast me out i' th'
road. He had no reet to do it," her voice rising hysterically. "He had
no reet to do it, if he wur a gentleman; but it seems gentlefolk can do
owt they please. If he did na mean to stick to me, why could na he ha'
let me a-be."

"That is na gentlefolks' way," said Joan bitterly, "but if I wur i'
yo're place, Liz, I would na hate th' choild. It has na done yo' as much
harm as yo' ha' done it."

After a while, when the girl was quieter, Joan asked her a question.

"You nivver told me who yo' went away wi', Liz," she said. "I ha' a
reason fur wantin' to know, or I would na ax, but fur a' that if yo'
dun-not want to tell me, yo' need na do it against yo're will."

Liz was silent a moment.

"I would na tell ivverybody," she said. "I would na tell nobody but yo'.
It would na do no good, an' I dunnot care to do harm. You'll keep it to
yo'rsen, if I tell yo', Joan?"

"Aye," Joan answered, "as long as it needs be kept to mysen. I am na one
to clatter."

"Well," said Liz with a sob, "it wur Mester Landsell I went wi'--young
Mester Landsell--Mester Ralph."

"I thout as much," said Joan, her face darkening.

She had had her suspicions from the first, when Mr. Ralph Landsell had
come to Riggan with his father, who was one of the mining company. He
was a graceful, fair-faced young fellow, with an open hand and the air
of a potentate, and his grandeur had pleased Liz. She was not used to
flattery and "fine London ways," and her vanity made her an easy victim.

"He wur allus after me," she s