care of you.' 'Yes, dear
John,' I used to answer, 'I know she promised my mother so; but people
have taken to think against me, and so might Cousin Sarah.' Ah, he was a
man, a man! If you only heard how he answered me. But let that go, I am
nothing now, since the day I lost Cousin Ridd.' And with that he began
to push on again; but mother would not have it so.

'Oh, Tom, that was a loss indeed. And I am nothing either. And you
should try to allow for me; though I never found any one that did.' And
mother began to cry, though father had been dead so long; and I looked
on with a stupid surprise, having stopped from crying long ago.

'I can tell you one that will,' cried Tom, jumping off Winnie, in a
trice, and looking kindly at mother; 'I can allow for you, Cousin Sarah,
in everything but one. I am in some ways a bad man myself; but I know
the value of a good one; and if you gave me orders, by God--' And he
shook his fists towards Bagworthy Wood, just heaving up black in the
sundown.

'Hush, Tom, hush, for God's sake!' And mother meant me, without pointing
at me; at least I thought she did. For she ever had weaned me from
thoughts of revenge, and even from longings for judgment. 'God knows
best, boy,' she used to say, 'let us wait His time, without wishing
it.' And so, to tell the truth, I did; partly through her teaching, and
partly through my own mild temper, and my knowledge that father, after
all, was killed because he had thrashed them.

'Good-night, Cousin Sarah, good-night, Cousin Jack,' cried Tom, taking
to the mare again; 'many a mile I have to ride, and not a bit inside of
me. No food or shelter this side of Exeford, and the night will be black
as pitch, I trow. But it serves me right for indulging the lad, being
taken with his looks so.'

'Cousin Tom,' said mother, and trying to get so that Annie and I could
not hear her; 'it would be a sad and unkinlike thing for you to despise
our dwelling-house. We cannot entertain you, as the lordly inns on the
road do; and we have small change of victuals. But the men will go home,
being Saturday; and so you will have the fireside all to yourself and
the children. There are some few collops of red deer's flesh, and a ham
just down from the chimney, and some dried salmon from Lynmouth weir,
and cold roast-pig, and some oysters. And if none of those be to your
liking, we could roast two woodcocks in half an hour, and Annie would
make the toast for them. And the good fo