that I might at some time be
restored to his protection. I then retired to my bed among the hay, and
there, for the first time since I had been in the family, I wept myself
to sleep.

Early in the morning I went to the garden. Mrs. Davis's children did not
choose to walk with me, so I went alone. When I returned home to
breakfast (it being market-day Mr. Davis was gone to town) his wife and
daughters did not speak to me once during the meal, excepting to tell me
that the plums were laid under the trees. I finished my breakfast as
soon as I could and returned to my work, grieved that I had lost the
goodwill of people who were really kind to me, but whose practices were
such as I could not follow. The hour of dinner came, and with a heavy
heart I went to the cottage, dreading the angry looks, and perhaps
reproaches, of Mrs. Davis. When I arrived there I found the brother and
sister-in-law of Mrs. Davis were paying her a visit. I had seen these
people once before, and soon after I came into the family; they were
pedlars, and traversed the county from one end of it to the other. The
man carried a large pack filled with linens, muslins, stuffs, and many
other articles for clothing; his wife carried two boxes, with trinkets,
lace, millinery, and a great variety of light goods. When I entered the
room they turned their eyes upon me as if I had been the subject of
their conversation, which I quickly found had been the case, for Mrs.
Davis said to them:

'That is the girl I have been telling you of. She would be of great use
to you, for she could carry one of the boxes, and in my house she is of
no use in the world, but quite a burden to us, and she makes quarrels
between my husband and me, for you know that Davis is so particular, and
has such odd notions about honesty, that he seems to think it next thing
to murder to take a bit of fruit or a sixpence belonging to Mr. Freeman.
You never heard such a piece of work as we had last night because the
girls had taken a few plums.'

She then in her own way told her brother of the keeping back part of the
market-money and of the peaches. I was surprised that she was not
ashamed of telling such things, but she was not, and her brother only
laughed at them, and said that honesty was very well in its place, but
that it was ridiculous to carry it so far.'

'But, however,' said he, 'I shall have no objection to Lady Anne (I
think you call her) being very honest with us. I shall not be