ere dealt with by
hullabaloo and sticks and chasing dogs. Rabbits were vermin, of course,
and ate the crops, and must be killed; besides, they were good food, and
fetched two shillings apiece; all this she knew but to see the poor
frightened things stealing out, pounced on, turned, shouted at, chased,
rolled over by great swift dogs, fallen on by the boys and killed and
carried with their limp grey bodies upside down, so dead and soft and
helpless, always made her feel quite sick. She stood very still, trying
not to see or hear, and in the corn opposite to her a rabbit stole along,
crouched, and peeped. 'Oh!' she thought, 'come out here, bunny. I'll let
you away--can't you see I will? It's your only chance. Come out!' But
the rabbit crouched, and gazed, with its little cowed head poked forward,
and its ears laid flat; it seemed trying to understand whether this still
thing in front of it was the same as those others. With the thought, 'Of
course it won't while I look at it,' Noel turned her head away. Out of
the corner of her eye she could see a man standing a few yards off. The
rabbit bolted out. Now the man would shout and turn it. But he did not,
and the rabbit scuttled past him and away to the hedge. She heard a
shout from the end of the row, saw a dog galloping. Too late! Hurrah!
And clasping her hands, she looked at the man. It was Fort! With the
queerest feeling--amazement, pleasure, the thrill of conspiracy, she saw
him coming up to her.

"I did want that rabbit to get off," she sighed out; "I've been watching
it. Thank you!"

He looked at her. "My goodness!" was all he said.

Noel's hands flew up to her cheeks. "Yes, I know; is my nose very red?"

"No; you're as lovely as Ruth, if she was lovely."

Swish-swish! The cutter came by; Noel started forward to her place in
the row; but catching her arm, he said: "No, let me do this little bit.
I haven't had a day in the fields since the war began. Talk to me while
I'm binding."

She stood watching him. He made a different, stronger twist from hers,
and took larger sheaves, so that she felt a sort of jealousy.

"I didn't know you knew about this sort of thing."

"Oh, Lord, yes! I had a farm once out West. Nothing like field-work, to
make you feel good. I've been watching you; you bind jolly well."

Noel gave a sigh of pleasure.

"Where have you come from?" she asked.

"Straight from the station. I'm on my holiday." He looked up a