ry. He had followed the funeral
at a short distance, keeping with Mary aloof from the crowd; but when
all was over, and the churchyard was left in quiet again, Luke had gone
and stood by the still open grave of the man who had given his life
for his child's, and had stood there with the tears streaming down his
cheeks, and his strong frame so shaken by emotion that Polly had been
forced to dry her own eyes and stifle her sobs, and to lead him quietly
away.

"Strange, bain't it, lass; feyther and son seem mixed up with Varley.
First the lad has a foight wi' Bill Swinton, and braakes the boy's leg;
then t' feyther sends oop all sorts o' things to Bill, and his son comes
up here and gets as friendly with Bill as if he were his brother, and
gets to know you, and many another in the village. Then our Jane goes
down into t' town and would ha' lost her life if captain he hadn't been
passing by and saaved her. Then he gets killed. Just gived his life for
hearn. Looks like a fate aboot it; may be it eel be our toorn next, and
if ever that lad waants a man to stand beside him Luke Marner will be
there. And there's Bill too--oi believe that boy would lay down his life
for him. He's very fond of our Janey--fonder nor her own brothers. He
ain't got no sister of his own, and he's took to t' child wonderful
since he got ill. He thowt a soight o' Ned Sankey afore; I doan't know
what he wouldn't do for him now."

"I don't suppose, feyther, as any of us will be able to do anything for
him; but we may do, who knows?"

"Ay, who knows, lass? toimes is main bad, and oi doot there will be
trouble, but oi doan't see as that can affect him no ways, being as he
is a lad, and having nowt to do with the mills--but oi do hoape as the
time may come, lass, as we can show un as we knows we owes a loife to
him."

On the Monday following Ned and Charlie returned to school, and found it
less painful than Ned had expected. Mr. Porson had taken Ripon aside and
had told that the kindest way to treat the boys would be to avoid all
allusion to their loss or anything like a show of open sympathy, but to
let them settle quietly into their places.

"Sankey will know you all feel for him, Ripon, he will need no telling
of that."

Ripon passed the word round the school, and accordingly when the boys
came into the playground, two or three minutes before the bell rang,
Ned, to his great relief, found that with the exception of a warm silent
wring of the hand