eling on his side
seemingly, but I don't answer for her. I didn't know a word about
any such thing till yesterday, and all I heard then was that she was
gwine to the party at his house to-night. This is the first time she
has ever gone there, they say. And they say that she've not so much
as spoke to him since they were at Greenhill Fair: but what can folk
believe o't? However, she's not fond of him--quite offish and quite
careless, I know."

"I'm not so sure of that.... She's a handsome woman, Pennyways, is
she not? Own that you never saw a finer or more splendid creature
in your life. Upon my honour, when I set eyes upon her that day I
wondered what I could have been made of to be able to leave her by
herself so long. And then I was hampered with that bothering show,
which I'm free of at last, thank the stars." He smoked on awhile,
and then added, "How did she look when you passed by yesterday?"

"Oh, she took no great heed of me, ye may well fancy; but she looked
well enough, far's I know. Just flashed her haughty eyes upon my
poor scram body, and then let them go past me to what was yond, much
as if I'd been no more than a leafless tree. She had just got off
her mare to look at the last wring-down of cider for the year; she
had been riding, and so her colours were up and her breath rather
quick, so that her bosom plimmed and fell--plimmed and fell--every
time plain to my eye. Ay, and there were the fellers round her
wringing down the cheese and bustling about and saying, 'Ware o' the
pommy, ma'am: 'twill spoil yer gown.' 'Never mind me,' says she.
Then Gabe brought her some of the new cider, and she must needs go
drinking it through a strawmote, and not in a nateral way at all.
'Liddy,' says she, 'bring indoors a few gallons, and I'll make some
cider-wine.' Sergeant, I was no more to her than a morsel of scroff
in the fuel-house!"

"I must go and find her out at once--O yes, I see that--I must go.
Oak is head man still, isn't he?"

"Yes, 'a b'lieve. And at Little Weatherbury Farm too. He manages
everything."

"'Twill puzzle him to manage her, or any other man of his compass!"

"I don't know about that. She can't do without him, and knowing it
well he's pretty independent. And she've a few soft corners to her
mind, though I've never been able to get into one, the devil's in't!"

"Ah, baily, she's a notch above you, and you must own it: a higher
class of animal--a finer tissue. However, sti