out of the way.

"They were only put in this morning!" she cried, stimulated to pursue
in spite of her lover's presence. "They were drove from Spaddleholt
Farm only yesterday, where Father bought 'em at a stiff price enough.
They are wanting to get home again, the stupid toads! Will you shut
the garden gate, dear, and help me to get 'em in. There are no men
folk at home, only Mother, and they'll be lost if we don't mind."

He set himself to assist, and dodged this way and that over the
potato rows and the cabbages. Every now and then they ran together,
when he caught her for a moment and kissed her. The first pig was
got back promptly; the second with some difficulty; the third a
long-legged creature, was more obstinate and agile. He plunged
through a hole in the garden hedge, and into the lane.

"He'll be lost if I don't follow 'n!" said she. "Come along with
me!"

She rushed in full pursuit out of the garden, Jude alongside her,
barely contriving to keep the fugitive in sight. Occasionally they
would shout to some boy to stop the animal, but he always wriggled
past and ran on as before.

"Let me take your hand, darling," said Jude. "You are getting out of
breath." She gave him her now hot hand with apparent willingness,
and they trotted along together.

"This comes of driving 'em home," she remarked. "They always know
the way back if you do that. They ought to have been carted over."

By this time the pig had reached an unfastened gate admitting to the
open down, across which he sped with all the agility his little legs
afforded. As soon as the pursuers had entered and ascended to the
top of the high ground it became apparent that they would have to run
all the way to the farmer's if they wished to get at him. From this
summit he could be seen as a minute speck, following an unerring line
towards his old home.

"It is no good!" cried Arabella. "He'll be there long before we get
there. It don't matter now we know he's not lost or stolen on the
way. They'll see it is ours, and send un back. Oh dear, how hot I
be!"

Without relinquishing her hold of Jude's hand she swerved aside and
flung herself down on the sod under a stunted thorn, precipitately
pulling Jude on to his knees at the same time.

"Oh, I ask pardon--I nearly threw you down, didn't I! But I am so
tired!"

She lay supine, and straight as an arrow, on the sloping sod of this
hill-top, gazing up into the blue miles of sky, and