w plodding along
towards the city in a temper primed by the accidents of the day to a
condition of the highest irascibility. As a matter of fact, Liza, in
her secret heart, was chiefly angry with herself for the reckless leap
over a big stone that had given the sprained ankle, under the pains of
which she now groaned; but it was due to the illogical instincts of
her sex that she could not consciously take so Spartan a view of her
position as to blame herself for what had happened.

It was at this scarcely promising juncture of accident and temper that
she came upon the blacksmith, and at the first sight of him all the
bitterness of feeling that had been brewing and fermenting within her,
and in default of a proper object had been discharged on the horse, on
the saddle, on the roads, and even on Rotha, found a full and
magnificent outlet on the person of Mr. Joseph Garth.

While that gentleman had been jogging along homewards he had been
fostering uncomfortable sentiments of spite respecting the "laal
hussy" who had betrayed him. He had been mentally rehearsing the
withering reproaches and yet more withering glances which he meant to
launch forth upon her when next it should be her misfortune to cross
his path. Such disloyalty, such an underhand way of playing double,
seemed to Mr. Garth deserving of any punishment short of that physical
one which it would be most enjoyable to inflict, but which it might
not, with that Robbie in the way, be quite so pleasant to stand
responsible for. Perhaps it was due to an illogical instinct of the
blacksmith's sex that his conscience did not trouble him when he was
concocting these pains and penalties for duplicity. Certainly, when
the two persons in question came face to face at the turning of the
pack-horse road towards the city, logic played an infinitesimal part
in their animated intercourse.

Mr. Garth meant to direct a scorching sneer as silent preamble to his
discourse; but owing to the fact that Robbie's blow had fallen about
the blacksmith's eyes, and that those organs had since become sensibly
eclipsed by a prodigious and discolored swelling, what was meant for a
withering glance looked more like a meaningless grin. At this apparent
levity under her many distresses, Liza's wrath rose to boiling point,
and she burst out upon Mr. Joseph with more of the home-spun of the
country-side than ever fell from her lips in calmer moments.

"Thoo dummel-head, thoo," she said, "thoo'