ugh's suit steadily
advanced; that Rachel made no real attempt to resist his power over her.
But all the same there was no happy, spontaneous growth in it. Rachel
seemed to take her increasing subjection hardly, to be fighting obscurely
against it all the time, as though she were hampered by thought and
motives unknown to the other two. Ellesborough, Janet thought, was often
puzzled by the cynical or bitter talk with which Rachel would sometimes
deliberately provoke him. And yet it was clear that he possessed the
self-confidence of a strong man, and did not really doubt his ultimate
power to win and hold the woman he was courting.

One bitterly cold evening at the very end of September, Ellesborough,
arriving at the farm, was welcomed by Janet, and told that all hands were
in the fields "clamping" potatoes. She herself left a vegetable stew
ready for supper, safely simmering in a hay-box, and walked towards the
potato field with Ellesborough. On the way they fell in with Hastings,
the bailiff, who was walking fast, and seemed to be in some excitement.

"Miss Leighton--that old fool Halsey has given notice!"

Janet stopped in dismay. Halsey was a valuable man, an old-fashioned
labourer of many aptitudes, equally good as a woodman, as an expert in
"fagging" or sickling beaten-down corn, as a thatcher of roofs or ricks,
as a setter of traps for moles, or snares for rabbits. Halsey was the
key-stone of the farm labour. Betts was well enough. But without Halsey's
intelligence to keep him straight--Janet groaned.

"What on earth's the matter, Hastings? We raised his wages last week--and
we did it before the county award was out!"

Hastings shook his head.

"It's not wages. He says he's seen the ghost!"

Janet exclaimed, and Ellesborough laughed.

"What, the defunct gamekeeper?"

Hastings nodded.

"Vows he's seen him twice--once on the hill--on the green path--and once
disappearing round the corner of the farm. He declares that he called to
the man--who was like nobody he had ever seen before--and the man took no
notice, but went along, all hunched up--as they say the ghost is--and
talking to himself--till all of a sudden he vanished. I've argued with
him. But nothing'll hold him--old idiot! He vows he'll go---and if he
talks to the others they'll all go."

"Has he gone home?" asked Janet.

"Long ago. He left the horses to Jenny, and just marched off. In the lane
he met me, and gave notice. Such a cock-and-bull s