it is beyond me, not only to express, but even form
to my own heart in thoughts; because I do not shape my face, and would
scorn to play to it, as a thing of acting, and lay it out before you,
are you fools enough to think--' but here I stopped, having said more
than was usual with me.

'I am very sorry, John. Dear John, I am so sorry. What a shallow fool I
am!'

'I will go seek your husband,' I said, to change the subject, for even
to Annie I would not lay open all my heart about Lorna: 'but only
upon condition that you ensure this house and people from the Doones
meanwhile. Even for the sake of Tom, I cannot leave all helpless. The
oat-ricks and the hay-ricks, which are my only love, they are welcome to
make cinders of. But I will not have mother treated so; nor even little
Lizzie, although you scorn your sister so.'

'Oh, John, I do think you are the hardest, as well as the softest of all
the men I know. Not even a woman's bitter word but what you pay her out
for. Will you never understand that we are not like you, John? We say
all sorts of spiteful things, without a bit of meaning. John, for God's
sake fetch Tom home; and then revile me as you please, and I will kneel
and thank you.'

'I will not promise to fetch him home,' I answered, being ashamed of
myself for having lost command so: 'but I will promise to do my best, if
we can only hit on a plan for leaving mother harmless.'

Annie thought for a little while, trying to gather her smooth clear brow
into maternal wrinkles, and then she looked at her child, and said, 'I
will risk it, for daddy's sake, darling; you precious soul, for daddy's
sake.' I asked her what she was going to risk. She would not tell me;
but took upper hand, and saw to my cider-cans and bacon, and went from
corner to cupboard, exactly as if she had never been married; only
without an apron on. And then she said, 'Now to your mowers, John; and
make the most of this fine afternoon; kiss your godson before you go.'
And I, being used to obey her, in little things of that sort, kissed the
baby, and took my cans, and went back to my scythe again.

By the time I came home it was dark night, and pouring again with a
foggy rain, such as we have in July, even more than in January. Being
soaked all through, and through, and with water quelching in my boots,
like a pump with a bad bucket, I was only too glad to find Annie's
bright face, and quick figure, flitting in and out the firelight,
instead o