in his mind, resolved to carry the garment home himself at
once, and to have a talk with Dame Winburn. So he wrapped the
coat in a handkerchief, put it under his arm, and set off down
the village.

He found the dame busy with her washing; and after depositing his
parcel, sat down on the settle to have a talk with her. They soon
got on the subject which was always uppermost in her mind, her
son's prospects, and she poured out to the constable her
troubles. First there was this sweet-hearting after old Simon's
daughter,--not that Dame Winburn was going to say anything
against her, though she might have her thoughts as well as other
folk, and for her part she liked to see girls that were fit for
something besides dressing themselves up like their betters,--but
what worried her was to see how Harry took it to heart. He wasn't
like himself, and she couldn't see how it was all to end. It made
him fractious, too, and he was getting into trouble about his
work. He had left his regular place, and was gone mowing with a
gang, most of them men out of the parish that she knew nothing
about, and likely not to be the best of company. And it was all
very well in harvest time, when they could go and earn good wages
at mowing and reaping any where about, and no man could earn
better than her Harry, but when it came to winter again she
didn't see but what he might find the want of a regular place,
and then the farmers mightn't take him on; and his own land, that
he had got, and seemed to think so much of, mightn't turn out all
he thought it would. And so in fact the old lady was troubled in
her mind, and only made the constable more uneasy. He had a vague
sort of impression that he was in some way answerable for Harry,
who was a good deal with him, and was fond of coming about his
place. And although his cottage happened to be next to old
Simon's, which might account for the fact to some extent, yet the
constable was conscious of having talked to his young friend on
many matters in a way which might have unsettled him, and
encouraged his natural tendency to stand up for his own rights
and independence, and he knew well enough that this temper was
not the one which was likely to keep a labouring man out of
trouble in the parish.

He did not allow his own misgivings, however, to add to the
widow's troubles, but, on the contrary, cheered her by praising
up Harry as much as even she could desire, and prophesying that
all would come righ