onists; and I
don't hold with that body."

So he got a suit of flame new clothes out of her and a new hat into the
bargain; and then I said that he'd soon be a goner. But I was wrong, for
he stopped and went down to Huccaby Chapel for holy service twice a
Sunday; and what's more he kept it up. And then, if you please, my sister
went with him one day; and coming to it with all the charm of novelty, she
took to it very kindly and got to be a right down church-goer, much to my
satisfaction I'm sure. And her up home five-and-sixty years old at the
time!

To sum up, Bob stayed. She offered him wages and he took them. Twenty-five
shillings a week and his keep he got out of her after the lambing season,
for with the sheep he proved a fair wonder same as he done with everything
else. And nothing was a trouble. For a fortnight the man never slept, save
a nod now and again in the house on wheels, where he dwelt in the valley
among the ewes. And old shepherds, with all the will to flout him, was
tongue-tied afore the man, because of his excellent skill and far-reaching
knowledge.

Mary called him "my bailiff," and was terrible proud of him; and he
accepted the position, and always addressed her as "Ma'am" afore the
hands, though "Miss Blake" in private. And in fulness of time, he called
her "Miss Mary." The first time he went so far as that, she came running
to me all in a twitter; but I could see she liked it at heart. She got to
trust him a lot, and though I warned her more than once, it weren't easy
to say anything against a man like Battle--as steady as you please, never
market-merry, and always ready for church on Sundays.

When I got to know him pretty well, I put it to him plain. One August day
it was, when we were going up to Princetown on our ponies to hear tell
about the coming fair.

"What's your game, Bob?" I asked the man. "I'm not against you," I said,
"and I'm not for you. But you was blowed out of a snow storm remember, and
we've only got your word for it that you're a respectable man."

"I never said I was respectable," he answered me, "but since you ask, I'll
be plain with you, Rupert Blake. 'Tis true I was a soldier and done my
duty and fought under Lord Roberts. But I didn't like it, and hated being
wounded and was glad to quit. And after that I kept a shop of all sorts on
Salisbury Plain, till I lost all my little money. Then I took up farm
labourer's work for a good few years, and tried to get in along