et that be as it will, what sea-gulls have got to cry
about is a subject hidden from human understanding, though doubtless
they've got their troubles like all mortal flesh.

Well, there was four of 'em--two maidens and two young men--and James
White, the farmer at Hartland and Mary Jane White his sister, were two,
and Cora Dene, who lived along with her old widow aunt, Mrs. Sarah Dene,
was the third of the bunch, and Nicholas Gaunter, who worked as cowman at
Hartland Farm, came fourth.

And at the beginning of the curious tale James White was tokened to Mrs.
Dene's niece, while his cowman had got engaged to Mary Jane. Folk said
none of 'em was particular well suited, but the thing had fallen out as
such matters will, and there weren't no base of real love behind the
engagements, except in the case of White's sister.

There's no doubt James White loved Cora Dene for her cooking, as well he
might, because she was a wonder in that art. She was also a very pretty
woman, with a headpiece well furnished within as well as beautiful
without, and when she first took James, Cora honestly believed she loved
him and liked the thought of reigning at Hartland. But more than the love
of the couple had gone to the match, because Mrs. Dene, Cora's aunt, was
very wishful for it to happen on the girl's account and meant to make
other arrangements for her own comfort.

She liked Cora very well, you understand, and knew she'd miss her cooking,
if not her pretty face and her commonsense; but she had a great feeling
for a man round her house, which was lonely, and on the moor-edge by the
river, half a mile from Little Silver village, and her ambition was to
engage a married couple who could tend home and garden, poultry and pigs;
because Mrs. Dene, though fairly well to do, was an energetic creature and
liked to be busy and add to her income in a small way.

So when she learned through his sister that James White wanted Cora, she
done her best to help on the match and found the girl not unwilling. In
fact, Cora accepted Jimmy before she knew quite enough about him to do so;
and then, after she got to understand his nature and found he was
merciless about money and cruel close, and grudged a sovereign for a bit
of fun, her heart sank. Because she didn't know that love can't stem a
ruling passion, and ain't very often the ruling passion itself in a male,
and she found, as many other maidens have afore her, that a man's love
affairs don't st