Janet had stopped in the moonlight, since the
villagers often went to the shop and post in the evening, and his
standing in the shadow gave a hint of secrecy to the accidental meeting.
He thought it strange that Janet did not see this.

"You were walking fast," she said. "I believe you'd have gone by if I
hadn't spoken."

"The frost is sharp enough to make one move briskly and I've something to
do when I get back."

"Busy lad!" said Janet, in a mocking voice. "You're always in a hurry,
Kit I suppose Peter works you hard?"

"He says I work him harder than he likes," Kit replied, smiling. "Perhaps
the truth is he lets me have my way."

"You're lucky," Janet remarked with a sigh. "It's nice to be able
to do what you like. There's only one way at the Mill house, and
that's father's. But I suppose you agree with him that women's
ideas don't count?"

"I daresay their ideas are as sound as ours, but I don't know much about
it. We have no women except old Bella and the dairymaid at Ashness."

"And you never miss them? In that big, lonely house!"

Kit mused for a moment. Sometimes, particularly on summer evenings when
they did not light the lamps and the shadows of the fells rested on the
old building, Ashness was lonely and drearily quiet. He had thought now
and then the difference would be marked if a woman's laugh rang through
the dim rooms and a graceful figure sat by the hearth. Still, his
imagination had not pictured Janet there.

"Oh, well," he said, "we're out all day and when we come home there are
letters to write and books to read."

"Letters and books!" said Janet. "Kit, I wonder if you're quite alive."
Then she laughed, provocatively. "Anyhow, you don't seem to know when
you're given a chance of being nice."

Kit did not answer and wished she would let him go. He felt awkward and
thought Janet knew this, for she resumed: "However, one mustn't expect
too much and you want to get back. It's a habit of yours. You were in a
hurry to get away the last time I saw you, when the stone-boat broke
Creighton's wall."

"I'd been at work since morning in the snow."

"And Miss Osborn was waiting for you in the lonning?"

"No," said Kit sharply; "she was not."

"Anyhow she was with you, before she stole away."

"She didn't steal away," Kit began indignantly, but hesitated. Now he
came to think about it, Grace had gone as quietly as possible.

"You mean Miss Osborn does nothing undignified? For all that, she di