east. "I
wasn't fit to drag along day after day. We 'ad to stop 'ere 'cos I was
near fainting away."

"She looked fair white when she sat down," put in the man. "Like she was
goin' off."

"And that very minute," said the woman, "a young lady came by on
'orseback, an' the minute she sees me she stops her 'orse an' gets
down."

"I never seen nothing like the quick way she done it," said the husband.
"Sharp, like she was a soldier under order. Down an' give the bridle to
the groom an' comes over."

"And kneels down," the woman took him up, "right by me an' says, 'What's
the matter? What can I do?' an' finds out in two minutes an' sends to
the farm for some brandy an' all this basketful of stuff," jerking her
head towards the treasure at her side. "An' gives 'IM," with another
jerk towards her mate, "money enough to 'elp us along till I'm fair
on my feet. That quick it was--that quick," passing her hand over
her forehead, "as if it wasn't for the basket," with a nervous,
half-hysteric giggle, "I wouldn't believe but what it was a dream--I
wouldn't."

"She was a very kind young lady," said Mount Dunstan, "and you were in
luck."

He gave a few coppers to the children and strode on his way. The glow
was hot in his heart, and he held his head high.

"She has gone by," he said. "She has gone by."

He knew he should find her at West Ways Farm, and he did so. Slim and
straight as a young birch tree, and elate with her ride in the morning
air, she stood silhouetted in her black habit against the ancient
whitewashed brick porch as she talked to Bolter.

"I have been drinking a glass of milk and asking questions about hops,"
she said, giving him her hand bare of glove. "Until this year I have
never seen a hop garden or a hop picker."

After the exchange of a few words Bolter respectfully melted away and
left them together.

"It was such a wonderful day that I wanted to be out under the sky for
a long time--to ride a long way," she explained. "I have been looking at
hop gardens as I rode. I have watched them all the summer--from the time
when there was only a little thing with two or three pale green leaves
looking imploringly all the way up to the top of each immensely tall
hop pole, from its place in the earth at the bottom of it--as if it was
saying over and over again, under its breath, 'Can I get up there? Can
I get up? Can I do it in time? Can I do it in time?' Yes, that was
what they were saying, the little bold