eft him. As for Abel
himself, he slighted both Estelle and Mr. Churchouse at first, and
appeared for a time quite oblivious to their approaches. He was only
interested in the car, which stood drawn up in an open shed at the side
of the farmyard. He concentrated here, desired the company of the driver
alone, and could with difficulty be drawn away to listen to the
travellers and declare his own ambitions.

He was, however, not sorry to see Estelle, and when, presently, they
lured him away from the motor, he talked to them. He bragged about his
achievement in running away and finding work; but he was not satisfied
with the work itself.

"It was only to see if I could live in the world on my own," he said,
"and now I know I can. Nobody's got any hold on me now, because if you
can earn your food and clothes, you're free of everybody. I don't tell
them here, but I could work twice as hard and do twice as much if it was
worth while; only it isn't."

"If you get wages, you ought to earn them," said Estelle.

"I do," he explained. "I get a shilling a day and my grub, and I earn
all that. But, of course, I'm not going to be a farmer. I'm just
learning about the land--then I'm going. Nobody's clever here. But I
like taking it easy and being my own master."

"You oughtn't to take it easy at your time of life, Abel," declared
Estelle. "You oughtn't to leave school yet, and I very much hope you'll
go back."

"Never," he said. "I couldn't stop there after I knew he was paying for
it. Or anywhere else. I'm not going to thank him for anything."

"But you stand in the light of your own usefulness," she explained. "The
thing is for a boy to do all in his power to make himself a useful man,
and by coming here and doing ploughboy's work, when you might be
learning and increasing your own value in the world, you are being an
idiot, Abel. If you let your father educate you, then, in the future,
you can pay him back splendidly and with interest for all he has done
for you. There's no obligation then--simply a fair bargain."

His face hardened and he frowned.

"I may pay him for all he's done for me, whether or no," he answered.
"Anyway, I don't want any more book learning. I'm a man very nearly, and
a lot cleverer, as it is, than the other men here. I shall stop here for
a bit. I want to be let alone and I will be let alone."

"Not at all," declared Mr. Churchouse. "You're going back on yourself,
Abel, and if you stop here, hoeing