y says--a disgrace. But did _you_ know it, Betty?'

'I guessed something, not much; but, Bryda, it is all over now.'

'All over,' the girl said, with flashing eyes, 'all over! Such a stain
can never be wiped away.' Then, with a sudden impulse of pity and
tenderness, Bryda stooped, and kissing the furrowed brow of the old man,
she said,--

'Ah, poor grandfather!'

'He was such a fine, handsome boy, was our Phil. There was not one to
match him--straight as a dart, and that strong, he could get the better
of the strongest in the wrestling matches. Oh, he was a fine fellow was
Phil! To see him on horseback was a treat.'

'What did he do? I wish to know now, grandfather.'

But the old father shook his head.

'It is so long ago, now--near nineteen years. Yes, nineteen years. Betty
was born just after, and her mother died of a broken heart, they said.
Hearts don't break.'

'Do you know, Aunt Dorothy, what my father did?'

'Well, if you must know--he forged a cheque. If he hadn't been got off
to America he would have been--hung. Father scraped up a hundred pounds,
and sent him packing, and borrowed the three hundred to pay the man Phil
had robbed. That's the long and short of it. I wasn't here, but that's
what father told me, and I suppose it's gospel truth. It's over and done
with now, and no one need have been the wiser if that fool, young
Bayfield, had not come and stormed at father. Shameful, I call it.' Then
Dorothy threw her apron over her face, and leaving the kitchen, called
Betty to come and look after the butter. 'It is churning day,' she said,
'and to spoil pounds of good butter won't mend matters.'

Betty obeyed, and Bryda was left with her grandfather.

'Is my father dead?' she asked, putting her mouth close to the old man's
ear.

'Dead? Yes. I never heard a word of him since the ship sailed from
Bristol one dark night. I put him aboard. No one knew. When I got back
there was Bet wailing. She was born--and your poor silly mother died.
Poor thing! poor thing! She said, "I am glad to die, take care of my
babes." And I said I would, and so I did--eh, Biddy?'

'Yes, yes, grandfather; and now we will take care of you. I'll go and
earn my keep at any rate; but first I shall go and see Mr Bayfield.'

'No, no; it's like a lamb running into the jaws of a lion. He will only
storm at you. There's nought to be done but sell up, and pay the cash
down. But I'll do it myself. He sha'n't send his fellows here to kn