ld serially by Cloke in the barn, or his wife in the dairy,
the last chapters reserved for the kitchen o' nights by the big fire,
when the two had been half the day exploring about the house, where
old Iggulden, of the blue smock, cackled and chuckled to see them. The
motives that swayed the characters were beyond their comprehension; the
fates that shifted them were gods they had never met; the sidelights
Mrs. Cloke threw on act and incident were more amazing than anything in
the record. Therefore the Chapins listened delightedly, and blessed Mrs.
Shonts.

"But why--why--why--did So-and-so do so-and-so?" Sophie would demand
from her seat by the pothook; and Mrs. Cloke would answer, smoothing her
knees, "For the sake of the place."

"I give it up," said George one night in their own room. "People don't
seem to matter in this country compared to the places they live in. The
way she tells it, Friars Pardon was a sort of Moloch."

"Poor old thing!" They had been walking round the farms as usual before
tea. "No wonder they loved it. Think of the sacrifices they made for it.
Jane Elphick married the younger Torrell to keep it in the family. The
octagonal room with the moulded ceiling next to the big bedroom was
hers. Now what did he tell you while he was feeding the pigs?" said
Sophie.

"About the Torrell cousins and the uncle who died in Java. They lived at
Burnt House--behind High Pardons, where that brook is all blocked up."

"No; Burnt House is under High Pardons Wood, before you come to Gale
Anstey," Sophie corrected.

"Well, old man Cloke said--"

Sophie threw open the door and called down into the kitchen, where the
Clokes were covering the fire "Mrs. Cloke, isn't Burnt House under High
Pardons?"

"Yes, my dear, of course," the soft voice answered absently. A cough.
"I beg your pardon, Madam. What was it you said?"

"Never mind. I prefer it the other way," Sophie laughed, and George
re-told the missing chapter as she sat on the bed.

"Here to-day an' gone to-morrow," said Cloke warningly. "They've
paid their first month, but we've only that Mrs. Shonts's letter for
guarantee."

"None she sent never cheated us yet. It slipped out before I thought.
She's a most humane young lady. They'll be going away in a little. An'
you've talked a lot too, Alfred."

"Yes, but the Elphicks are all dead. No one can bring my loose talking
home to me. But why do they stay on and stay on so?"

In due time George and Sophi