loquacious and
rambling in her talk. It was but too obvious, that she was in a
fever, and wandering. Mrs. Chivers insisted on her taking some tea,
and then she helped her upstairs to the little bedroom, and did not
leave her till she was asleep. The school children, who came in
after their dinner hour, were dismissed, so that Mrs. Chivers had
the afternoon to devote to the care of the child and of the sick
mother, who was in high fever.

She was in the bedroom when she heard a knock at the door, and
then a heavy foot below. She descended the rickety stairs as gently
as possible, and found Farmer Colpus in the schoolroom.

"How do you do, Mrs. Chivers? Can you tell me, is Matabel Kink
here?"

"Yes--if you do not mind, Mr. Colpus, to speak a little lower. She
is in bed and asleep."

"Asleep?"

"She came in at noon, rather excited and queer, and her hand
burnin' like a hot chestnut, so I gave her a dish o' tea and sent
her upstairs. I thought it might be fever--and her eyes were that
strange and unsteady--"

"It is rather odd," said the constable, "but my daughter observed
how calm and clear her eye was--only an hour before."

"Maybe," said Mrs. Chivers, "and yet she was that won'erful
wanderin' in her speech--"

"You don't think she was shamming?"

"Shammin'! Lord, sir--that Matabel never did, and I've knowed her
since she was two-year old. At three and a half she comed to my
school."

"By the way, what is that stone on your table?" asked Colpus.

"That, sir? Matabel had it in her hand when she comed in. I took
it away, and then I felt how burnin' she was, like a fire."

"Oh! she was still holding that stone. Did she say anything about
it?"

"Yes, sir, she said that she used it to defend herself and baby."

"From whom?"

"She didn't say--but you know, sir, there has been a bit of tiff
between her and the Broom-Squire, and she won't hear of goin back
to the Punch-Bowl, and she has a fancy he wants to take the baby
away from her. That's ridic'lous, of course. But there is no getting
the idea out of her head."

"I must see her."

"You can't speak to her, sir. She is asleep still." Colpus
considered.

"I'll ask you to allow me to take this stone away, Betty. And I
must immediately send for the doctor. He has been sent for to the
Punch-Bowl, and I'll stop him on the way back to Godalming. I must
be assured that Matabel is in a fit state to be removed."

"Removed, whither?"

"To the lock-up."