nto his.

He looked down at her then and found his voice, the while his fingers
closed protectingly upon hers. "You're cold," he said. "They ought to
have warmed the church."

She turned her face up to the sky. "The sun will be through soon. Will
you take me home across the fields?"

"Too wet," said Jeff.

"Not if we keep to the path," she said. "I must just say good-bye to Mr.
Webster first."

Mr. Webster was the family lawyer. He came up with stilted phrases of
felicitation which sent Jeff instantly back into his impenetrable shell
of silence. Doris made reply on his behalf and her own with a dainty
graciousness that covered all difficulties, and finally extricated
herself and Jeff from the situation with a dexterity that left him
spellbound.

She had her way. They went by way of the fields, he and she alone
through the lifting mist, while Granny Grimshaw and Jim Dawlish marched
solemnly back to the mill by the road.

"It's a very good morning's work," asserted Granny Grimshaw with much
satisfaction. "I always felt that Master Jeff would never marry any but
a lady."

"I'd rather him than me," returned Jim Dawlish obscurely.

Which remark Granny Grimshaw treated as unworthy of notice.

As Jeff Ironside and his bride neared the last stile the sun came
through and shone upon all things.

"I'm glad we came this way," she said.

Jeff said nothing. He never spoke unless he had something to say.

They reached the stile. He strode over and reached back a hand to her.
She took it, mounted and stepped over, then sat down unexpectedly on the
top bar with the hand in hers.

"Jeff!" she said.

He looked up at her. Her voice was small and shy, her cheeks very
delicately flushed.

"What is it?" said Jeff.

She looked down at the brown hand she held, all roughened and hardened
by toil, and hesitated.

"Well?" said Jeff.

She turned her eyes upon his face. "Are you going back to work to-day,
just as if--as if nothing had happened?" she asked.

He looked straight back at her. "You don't want me, do you?" he said.

She nodded. "Shall we go for a picnic?" she said.

"A picnic!" He seemed surprised at the suggestion.

She laughed a little. "Do you never go for picnics? I do--all by myself
sometimes. It's rather fun, you know."

"By yourself?" said Jeff.

She rose from her perch. "It's more fun with someone certainly," she
said.

Jeff's face reflected her smile for an instant. "All right," he said.
"I'l