ay on at the farm, after all?"

"Dennis did that, you know," said Maisie, forgetting her shyness a
little. "Dennis made a Round Robin, and all the men put their names,
and so Mr Solace let Tuvvy stop."

The doctor nodded, with a little smile. He seemed to know all about it,
and this did not surprise Maisie, who thought it quite natural that such
a great event should be widely spread.

"And since then," she went on, encouraged the attentive expression on
her listener's face, "he's been as steady as steady! He doesn't have to
pass the Cross Keys now, you know, because he goes home over our field,
and he thinks it's partly that. It was the red blind drew him in, you
see, and then he couldn't come out again."

Dr Price nodded again, and his smile widened in spite of evident efforts
to conceal it, as Maisie turned her serious gaze full upon him.

"Just so," he said.

At that very minute it struck Maisie that she had made a dreadful
mistake. She ought not to have mentioned red blinds to Dr Price.
Dennis had told her he was sometimes "like Tuvvy." She hung her head,
and her round cheeks flushed scarlet.

"I heard all about it the other day, Miss Maisie," said the doctor in a
very kind voice, "and who do you think told me? Tuvvy's little girl.
She's got a brother about the age of yours, and they both think a lot of
what you did for their father."

Maisie began to forget her confusion in the interest of Tuvvy's little
girl. She stole a glance at the doctor, who did not look a bit vexed at
her unlucky speech, but went on as good-naturedly as ever.

"She's a nice little maid, and it's hard lines for her just now. She
has to lie quite still all day because she's hurt her back. But she's
very good and patient."

"Can't you make her well?" asked Maisie, remembering the firm faith of
the village people in Dr Price.

"Oh, I hope so," he replied cheerfully. "But it takes time, and it's
dull and lonely for her, you see, while her people are out at work all
day."

"Is she _all_ alone?" asked Maisie. "Hasn't she got _any one_ to be
with her?"

"Well, she's got a kitten," answered Dr Price, "and that seems a comfort
to her, but that's about all. By the way, Miss Maisie," he added, "how
are all your cats? What became of the kitten you offered me some time
back?"

"Oh," said Maisie sorrowfully, "didn't you hear about it? We gave it to
old Sally's Eliza at Upwell, and it ran out through the front shop and
got