ease with me," she said, "but Nicky's all for foreign
parts, I'm afraid, and a State-aided passage to Canada. I've begged him to
think twice, I may tell you, because the sea between you and me is a very
cruel thought; but since you want a man and his wife, which was always
your ambition, and since I should certainly lengthen your days if I was to
bide along with you, and be happier far than I should be anywhere else on
earth, I'll strive with my husband about it and try my bestest to change
his plans."

So she went for Nicholas and he came along. Of course, he couldn't
play-act like his wife; but she'd schooled him pretty well, and he came
out with flying colours and sacrificed his hopes of Canada so that Cora
and her aunt shouldn't be parted.

It worked very well indeed, and the old woman had five more happy years
afore a tremendous Christmas dinner finished her.

And then Cora came by the house and three hundred a year.

You'd think, in your worldly wisdom, that such a woman as her might have
been rather doubtful as a wife, and was like to trade on her fatal
cleverness when up against the changes and chances of married life; but no
such thing was ever reported against Cora Caunter. She loved Nick and ran
straight in double harness, and brought the man four very fine childer.
And the eldest girl wears the amber heart to chapel on Sundays; because,
as Cora told Nicholas, 'tis no use having a heirloom if you don't let the
people see it.

As for James White, one dose of romantics was enough for him and he never
went courting no more; but Mary Jane found a very good husband and left
Hartland along with him after marriage. She quarrelled with James about
the wedding-breakfast because she wanted for him to pay, but he would not.

No. XI

THE WISE WOMAN OF WALNA

I

When farmer Badge died, his widow kept on at Walna, and some people
thought the world of her, same as I always did, but some was a bit
frightened, because of her great gifts. Charity Badge certainly did know a
terrible lot more than every-day folk, which was natural in the daughter
of a white witch; but she weren't no witch herself--neither black nor
white--and, as she often said to me: "'Tis only my way of putting two and
two together that makes the difference between me and the other women
round about these parts."

Walna was a poor little bit of a place up the Wallabrook Valley, and when
Charity died it all went to pieces, for there was none