y cupboard. Yow on'y let me know o' next meeting, and if
I don't come and give the men a bit o' my mind, my name arn't Jane
Gentles."

"Yow'd best keep thy tongue still."

"Mebbe you think so, my man, but I don't."

My senses had come back, and I was staring about at the clean kitchen I
was in, with carefully blackleaded grate and red-brick floor. Against
the open door, looking out upon the dam, and smoking his pipe, stood--
there was no mistaking him--our late man, Gentles; while over me with a
sponge in her hand, and a basin of water by her on a chair, was a big
broad-shouldered woman with great bare arms and a pleasant homely face,
whose dark hair was neatly kept and streaked with grey.

She saw that I was coming to, and smiled down at me, showing a set of
very white teeth, and her plump face looked motherly and pleasant as she
bent down and laid her hand upon my forehead.

"That's bonny," she said, nodding her head at me. "You lie still a bit
and I'll mak you a cup o' tea, and yo'll be aw reight again. I'm glad I
caught 'em at it. Some on 'em's going to hev sore bones for that job,
and so I tell 'em."

I took her hand and held it in mine, feeling very weak and dreamy still,
and I saw Gentles shift round and give me a hasty glance, and then twist
himself more round with his back to me.

"Howd up a minute," she said, passing one strong arm under me and
lifting me as if I had been a baby; and almost before I had realised it
she slipped off my jacket and placed a cushion beneath my head.

"There, now, lie still," she said, dabbing my wet hair with a towel.
"Go to sleep if you can."

By this time she was at the other end of the common print-covered couch
on which I lay and unlacing my boots, which she drew off.

"There, now thou'lt be easy, my lad. What would thy poor moother say if
she saw thee this how?"

I wanted to thank her, but I was too dreamy and exhausted to speak; but
I had a strange feeling of dread, and that was, that if I were left
alone with Gentles he would, out of revenge, lay hold of me and throw me
into the dam, and to strengthen my fancy I saw him keep turning his head
in a furtive way to glance at me.

"Here," exclaimed the woman sharply, "take these here boots out to the
back, mester, and clean 'em while I brush his coat."

"Eh?" said Gentles.

"Tak them boots out and brush 'em. Are yo' deaf?"

"Nay, I'm not going to clean his boots," growled Gentles.

"Not going to clean t