oo sudden a sort for her. Musing thus he walked along as if he were
still, as before, the lonely student, dissociated from all mankind, and
with no shadow of right or interest in Welland House or its mistress.

The great-coat and cap were unpleasant companions; but Swithin having
been reared, or having reared himself, in the scientific school of
thought, would not give way to his sense of their weirdness. To do so
would have been treason to his own beliefs and aims.

When nearly home, at a point where his track converged on another path,
there approached him from the latter a group of indistinct forms. The
tones of their speech revealed them to be Hezzy Biles, Nat Chapman, Fry,
and other labourers. Swithin was about to say a word to them, till
recollecting his disguise he deemed it advisable to hold his tongue, lest
his attire should tell a too dangerous tale as to where he had come from.
By degrees they drew closer, their walk being in the same direction.

'Good-night, strainger,' said Nat.

The stranger did not reply.

All of them paced on abreast of him, and he could perceive in the gloom
that their faces were turned inquiringly upon his form. Then a whisper
passed from one to another of them; then Chapman, who was the boldest,
dropped immediately behind his heels, and followed there for some
distance, taking close observations of his outline, after which the men
grouped again and whispered. Thinking it best to let them pass on
Swithin slackened his pace, and they went ahead of him, apparently
without much reluctance.

There was no doubt that they had been impressed by the clothes he wore;
and having no wish to provoke similar comments from his grandmother and
Hannah, Swithin took the precaution, on arriving at Welland Bottom, to
enter the homestead by the outhouse. Here he deposited the cap and coat
in secure hiding, afterwards going round to the front and opening the
door in the usual way.

In the entry he met Hannah, who said--

'Only to hear what have been seed to-night, Mr. Swithin! The work-folk
have dropped in to tell us!'

In the kitchen were the men who had outstripped him on the road. Their
countenances, instead of wearing the usual knotty irregularities, had a
smoothed-out expression of blank concern. Swithin's entrance was
unobtrusive and quiet, as if he had merely come down from his study
upstairs, and they only noticed him by enlarging their gaze, so as to
include him in the audience