m?" cried the young man eagerly. "Oh, no, pray don't let me
drive you away, it's only garden business."

"They're not going," said Ellis, half jocularly. "Now then, what is it,
my lad?"

"Well, it's about the gravel paths, Mr Ellis," said the young man,
leaning forward, after wiping his damp forehead, and speaking
confidentially. "I'm getting a bit anxious about them."

"Glad to hear it, my lad. I was always proud o' my paths in the old
days."

"And so am I, sir. If the gravel paths in a garden's kept right there
isn't so very much the matter."

"Humph! Well, I don't go so far as that, Daniel Barnett, but paths go a
long way. So you're ashamed of their being so weedy, eh?"

"Weedy, sir," said the young man, flushing.

"Why those paths--Oh, I see! Ha ha! He's chaffing me again, Miss
Mary."

Mary did not even smile, and the visitor looked uncomfortable, his own
face growing serious again directly.

"It's a long time since they've been regravelled, Mr Ellis, sir, and as
I could spare a bit of time, I thought, if you were not much pressed up
at the farm, you might let me have a hundred loads of gravel carted from
the pit."

"Take a lot of time and very hard work for the horses," said the
bailiff, pursing up his lips.

"Yes, sir, I calculated all that, but it would be a wonderful
improvement to my paths, and they'd pay for doing."

"I don't want to spare the carts, Daniel Barnett; but I agree with you
it would be a great improvement, and I want Mrs Mostyn to feel that you
are doing justice to the place, so I suppose I must say yes."

"Thank you, sir, thank you," cried Barnett, for he could feel the
strength of the encouragement, and knew how much it meant. "There," he
continued, rising very slowly and glancing at mother and daughter as he
spoke, "I'll start two men picking up the big path, and I s'pose you'll
be sending down the gravel almost any time."

"They shall begin soon and get it over."

"Thank you, sir; then I'll say good-night now. Good-night, Mrs Ellis.
Good-night, Miss Mary."

"What, won't you stop and have a bit of supper with us, Daniel?" said
the bailiff.

Wouldn't he! And "Daniel" too! He dropped down into his chair
muttering something about its being very kind, and that he thought he
wouldn't mind a morsel, but he looked in vain for a welcoming smile from
Mary, who, without a word, slowly left the room, and returned as
silently as she went, but with fresh knives and forks,