njoyed it over much. There had been a good deal of laughter and
light and colour--there had to be, since these were the fruits Esther
lived on--but there had been no affectionate converse with the world.
Strange old Madame Beattie! she had brought him the world to-night. She
had taken strangers from its furthest quarters and welded them into a
little community that laughed and shouted and thought according things.
That they had hailed him, even as a prisoner, brought him a little
warmth. It was mysterious, but it seemed they somehow liked him, and he
went into the quiet house and to bed with the feeling of having touched
a hand.

XXII

Within a week Jeffrey, going down town in his blue blouse to do an
errand at the stores, twice met squads of workmen coming from the
mill--warm-coloured, swarthy men, most of them young. He was looking at
them in a sudden curiosity as to their making part of Weedon Moore's
audience, when bright pleasure rippled over the dark faces. They knew
him; they were mysteriously glad to see him. Caps were snatched off.
Jeffrey snatched at his in return. There was a gleam of white teeth all
through the squad; as he passed in the ample way they made for him, he
felt foolishly as if they were going to stretch out kind detaining
hands. They looked so tropically warm and moved, he hardly knew what
greeting he might receive. "What have I done?" he thought. "Are they
going to kiss me?" He wished he could see Madame Beattie and ask her
what she had really caused to happen.

But on a later afternoon, at his work in the field, he saw Miss Amabel
carefully treading among corn hills, very hot though in her summer silk
and with a parasol. She always did feel the heat but patiently, as one
under bonds of meekness to the God who sent it; but to-day her
discomfort was within. Jeffrey threw down his hoe and wiped his face.
There was a bench under the beech tree shade. He had put it there so
that his father might be beguiled into resting after work. When she
reached the edge of the corn, he advanced and took her parasol and held
it over her.

"Ladies shouldn't come out here," he said. "They must send Mary Nellen
to fetch me in."

Miss Amabel sat down on the bench and did a little extra breathing,
while she looked at him affectionately.

"You are a good boy, Jeff," said she, at length, "whatever you've been
doing."

"I've been hoeing," said Jeff. "Here, let me."

He took her large fine handkerchief