'm about."

"Well, what was it you were going to say?" asked the bailiff.

"I were going to say as I wouldn't say nowt about it, and I won't, but
that poor lad has either been made away wi--"

"Tut, tut, nonsense!"

"Well, then, he's made away wi' himself," cried old Tummus, bringing his
hand down upon the table with a heavy bang.

The bailiff, who had not removed his hat before now, took it off,
showing a heavy dew upon his forehead, which he wiped away as he looked
uneasily from one to the other.

"What--what makes you say that, Tummus?" murmured Ellis, who did not
seem to be himself at all.

"Now, Tummus, do mind what you're saying," said old Hannah, in a
lachrymose tone of voice.

"Well, I am, arn't I? What I say is this: Warn't it likely?"

"Likely?"

"Aye, likely. Here's the poor lad loses his sight all at once just when
he's getting on and going to be head-gardener and marry my pretty
bairn."

"Nothing of the sort, sir," cried the bailiff warmly. "You're too fond
of settling other people's business."

"Yes, Mr Ellis, sir, that's what I tell him," said old Hannah
anxiously.

"Tchah!" growled old Tummus, giving his body a jerk. "Very well then,
sir, he thowt he were, and it got on his mind like that he were all in
the darkness, and it's my belief as he couldn't bear it, and went and
made a hole in the water so as to be out of his misery."

"Oh, Tummus, you shouldn't!"

"No, no; he was not the man to do such a thing," said Ellis, whose voice
sounded husky, and who looked limp and not himself.

"I dunno," growled Tummus; "they say when a man's in love and can't get
matters settled, he's ready to do owt. I never weer in love, so I
doan't know for sure."

"Oh, Tummus!" cried old Hannah reproachfully.

"Will ta howd thee tongue?" cried the old man.

"No, I won't, Tummus. Not even with Mr Ellis here, if you stand there
telling such wicked stories."

"Arn't a story," cried the old man, with the twinkle of a grim smile at
the corners of his lips. "Who'd ever go and fall in love with an ugly
owd woman like thou?"

"It couldn't be that; no, no, it couldn't be that," said the bailiff
hastily.

"Wheer is he then, sir?" said old Tummus firmly.

"Gone away for a bit--perhaps to London."

"Nay, not he," said old Tummus, shaking his head, "I'm sewer o' that."

"Why, how do you know?"

"Would a smart young man like John Grange was ha' gone up to London
without takking a clean shirt wi' him