oscillated between a ruined name and a
broken heart.

He walked on very slowly towards Bragg's End, as though he almost
dreaded the interview, swinging his stick as was his custom, and
keeping his feet on the grassy edges of the road till he came to the
turn which brought him on to the green. When on the green he did not
take the highway, but skirted along under Farmer Sturt's hedge, so
that he had to pass by the entrance of the farmyard before he crossed
over to the cottage. Here, just inside her own gate, he encountered
Mrs. Sturt standing alone. She had been intent on the cares of
her poultry-yard till she had espied Luke Rowan; but then she had
forgotten chickens and ducks and all, and had given herself up to
thoughts of Rachel's happiness in having her lover back again.

"It's he as sure as eggs," she had said to herself when she first saw
him; "how mortal slow he do walk, to be sure! If he was coming as joe
to me I'd soon shake him into quicker steps than them."

"Oh, Mrs. Sturt!" said he, "I hope you're quite well," and he stopped
short at her gate.

"Pretty bobbish, thankee, Mr. Rowan; and how's yourself? Are you
going over to the cottage this evening?"

"Who's at home there, Mrs. Sturt?"

"Well, they're all at home; Mrs. Ray, and Rachel, and Mrs. Prime. I
doubt whether you know the eldest daughter, Mr. Rowan?"

Luke did not know Mrs. Prime, and by no means wished to spend any of
the hours of the present evening in making her acquaintance.

"Is Mrs. Prime there?" he asked.

"'Deed she is, Mr. Rowan. She's come back these last two days."

Thereupon Rowan paused for a moment, having carefully placed himself
inside the gate-posts of the farmyard so that he might not be seen by
the inmates of the cottage, if haply he had hitherto escaped their
eyes.

"Mrs. Sturt," said he, "I wonder whether you'd do me a great favour."

"That depends--" said Mrs. Sturt. "If it's to do any good to any of
them over there, I will."

"If I wanted to do harm to any of them I shouldn't come to you."

"Well, I should hope not. Is she and you going to be one, Mr. Rowan?
That's about the whole of it."

"It shan't be my fault if we're not," said Rowan.

"That's spoken honest," said the lady; "and now I'll do anything in
my power to bring you together. If you'll just go into my little
parlour, I'll bring her to you in five seconds; I will indeed, Mr.
Rowan. You won't mind going through the kitchen for once, will you?"

Lu