one. If you never did good in your life before, John, my brother, you
have done it now.'

He turned away, in bitter pain, that none might see his trouble; and
Annie, going along with him, looked as if I had killed our mother. For
my part, I was so upset, for fear of having gone too far, that without
a word to either of them, but a message on the title-page of King
James his Prayer-book, I saddled Kickums, and was off, and glad of the
moorland air again.

CHAPTER LXI

THEREFORE HE SEEKS COMFORT

It was for poor Annie's sake that I had spoken my mind to her husband so
freely, and even harshly. For we all knew she would break her heart, if
Tom took to evil ways again. And the right mode of preventing this
was, not to coax, and flatter, and make a hero of him (which he did for
himself, quite sufficiently), but to set before him the folly of the
thing, and the ruin to his own interests. They would both be vexed with
me, of course, for having left them so hastily, and especially just
before dinner-time; but that would soon wear off; and most likely they
would come to see mother, and tell her that I was hard to manage, and
they could feel for her about it.

Now with a certain yearning, I know not what, for softness, and for one
who could understand me--for simple as a child though being, I found
few to do that last, at any rate in my love-time--I relied upon Kickum's
strength to take me round by Dulverton. It would make the journey some
eight miles longer, but what was that to a brisk young horse, even with
my weight upon him?

And having left Squire Faggus and Annie much sooner than had been
intended, I had plenty of time before me, and too much, ere a prospect
of dinner. Therefore I struck to the right, across the hills, for
Dulverton.

Pretty Ruth was in the main street of the town, with a basket in her
hand, going home from the market.

'Why, Cousin Ruth, you are grown, I exclaimed; 'I do believe you are,
Ruth. And you were almost too tall, already.'

At this the little thing was so pleased, that she smiled through her
blushes beautifully, and must needs come to shake hands with me; though
I signed to her not to do it, because of my horse's temper. But scarcely
was her hand in mine, when Kickums turned like an eel upon her, and
caught her by the left arm with his teeth, so that she screamed with
agony. I saw the white of his vicious eye, and struck him there with all
my force, with my left hand over her rig