," Stukeley
said doubtfully.

"Polly won't mind that," Bill replied confidently. "She will just wrap
her shawl round her head and come over. Oi will run across and fetch
her. Oi will not be gone three minutes."

In little more than that time Bill returned with Mary Powlett.

"I am awfully sorry to hear you are so bad, John," the girl said
frankly.

"I am dying, Polly; I know that, or I wouldn't have sent for ye. It was
a good day for you when you said no to what I asked you."

"Never mind that now, John; that's all past and gone."

"Ay, that's all past and gone. I only wanted to say as I wish you well,
Polly, and I hope you will be happy, and I am pretty nigh sure of
it. Bill here tells me that you set your heart on having young Sankey
cleared of that business as was against him. Is that so?"

"That is so, John; he has been very kind to us all, to feyther and all
of us. He is a good master to his men, and has kept many a mouth full
this winter as would have been short of food without him; but why do you
ask me?"

"Just a fancy of mine, gal, such a fancy as comes into the head of a man
at the last. When you get back send Luke here. It is late and maybe
he has gone to bed, but tell him I must speak to him. And now, goodby,
Polly. God bless you! I don't know as I hasn't been wrong about all this
business, but it didn't seem so to me afore. Just try and think that,
will you, when you hear about it. I thought as I was a-acting for the
good of the men."

"I will always remember that," Polly said gently.

Then she took the thin hand of the man in hers, glanced at Bill as if
she would ask his approval, and reading acquiescence in his eyes she
stooped over the bed and kissed Stukeley's forehead. Then without a word
she left the cottage and hurried away through the darkness.

A few minutes later Luke Marner came in, and to Bill's surprise Stukeley
asked him to leave the room. In five minutes Luke came out again.

"Go in to him, Bill," he said hoarsely. "Oi think he be a-sinking. For
God's sake keep him up. Give him that wine and broath stuff as thou
canst. Keep him going till oi coom back again; thou doan't know what
depends on it."

Hurrying back to his cottage Luke threw on a thick coat, and to the
astonishment of Polly announced that he was going down into Marsden.

"What! on such a night as this, feyther?"

"Ay, lass, and would if it were ten toimes wurse. Get ye into thy room,
and go down on thy knees, and