from head to heel, and told her story.

"I flinged myself in, as I ordained to do," she said, "and by the wisdom
of God a man was passing and heard the splash and saved me. 'Twas Nicholas
Caunter, the cowman at Hartland, who fought for my life, and he made me
promise faithful I wouldn't go in no more. So I've got to live after all,
Aunt Sarah."

"In that case, you'd best to unray and get out of them clothes and go to
bed," said the old woman, hiding her relief, "else you'll very likely die
in earnest--and no great loss if you did."

So Cora went to her chamber after a busy day; but she was one of them
terrible clear-minded women who work when they work and sleep when they
sleep, and she never had a better night's rest.

Two days later came news of where Nicholas was stopping; and there also
arrived for Cora a little box left by a farm-hand from Hartland. There
wasn't no letter with it, but Cora found herself disappointed in a way,
because she rather liked the thought of fetching James White up for breach
if it could be done; and the fact that he had so far shunned the prospect
of the law as to send her back the trinket showed that he was fearful too.
Because James White had a proper dread of lawyers.

And then came the last fine act but one of her make-believe, and when Mrs.
Dene had swallowed the pill and begun to see that, but for the shame,
she'd be a lot better with Cora than without, and set to work to make her
niece bide along with her and live it down, the girl vowed that such a
thought was beyond belief and she couldn't face Little Silver as a forlorn
woman passed over and disgraced.

"I'll go to Moreton," she said, "and find honest work; and as the world's
crying out for cooks, with a hand like mine, no doubt I'll struggle in
somewhere and make new friends; but to stop here all forlorn without a
man's courage and strength to defend me, be asking too much. And I never
shall forget your goodness and loving-kindness, Aunt Sarah; and the Lord
won't forget 'em either. I'll always pray for you in my prayers, and I'll
always pray for that poor chap, Nicholas Caunter, as saved me alive,
because when it got to Mr. White's ears as he'd done so and kept me from a
watery death, him and his sister turned against poor Nicholas and threw
him over, and he's a wanderer on the face of the earth this minute, though
such a clever, big-hearted soul as him be sure to find a warm welcome
somewhere, I hope."

Well, Mrs. Dene,