nts and she'd told
him that 'twas rather a surprise to her that Nicholas hadn't produced no
tokening ring as yet, and James had supported Nicholas in that matter, and
said money was money, and his cowman hadn't got much at best and far too
little anyway to waste ten shillings in sentiment.

"Let him keep his money for the wedding-ring," said James. "That you must
have, though even that's a silly waste in my opinion."

But Mary Jane weren't with him there, and was casting about to give
Nicholas a present herself and so lift him to give her one back; when
James White, down to Ashburton after a very successful sale, happed to
look in a window and see the amber heart.

'Twas just a honey-coloured thing carved to the familiar pattern and a bit
bigger than your thumbnail, and with a thin little silver chain hung to
it. And fired to a rash deed, he thought on Cora and went in the shop and
asked the price.

A hopeful jeweller said he could have it for ten bob, so James took a
chair and cheapened it. He sat there haggling for half an hour; and
finally he got the trinket for six shillings and six pence, and returned
to his hoss and rode home, thinking small beer of himself for a silly
piece of work.

He was a secretive sort of man and didn't whisper his purchase to nobody;
but the next Sunday, when Cora came to Hartland to tea and for a walk on
the moor and a bit of love-making after, James fetched out the prize when
they were alone. It had grown to be high summer time just then, and James
was amazed to see the crop of whortleberries lying ripe for the picking.
They made him forget all about Cora and the amber heart for a bit.

"If us have the childer out here, there's pounds and pounds of the fruit
to be picked and they run a shilling a pint at market," he said. "Pay 'em
twopence a pint for picking, and there's a five pound note for me afore
the summer's over."

Then he was pleased to see his honey bees hard at work in the heather.

"I respect a bee more than most any creature," James told Cora, "because
the insect rises above holidays and works seven days a week all its life
till it drops."

Then he minded the amber heart, and said he doubted not 'twas going to be
an heirloom in the White family, to be handed down from mother to daughter
for generations. And he warned her to take a lot of care of it, and look
cruel sharp that no misfortune ever befell the trash.

Cora thanked him very gratefully and put it on, and he