oor."

"Too cold!" muttered Hopkins, as he went. "They'll find it a deal
colder in lodgings at Guestwick." However, he went round through the
kitchen, and Lily met him in the hall.

"Well, Hopkins, what is it? Mamma has got a headache."

"Got a headache, has she? I won't make her headache no worse. It's
my opinion that there's nothing for a headache so good as fresh air.
Only some people can't abear to be blowed upon, not for a minute. If
you don't let down the lights in a greenhouse more or less every day,
you'll never get any plants,--never;--and it's just the same with the
grapes. Is I to go back and say as how I couldn't see her?"

"You can come in if you like; only be quiet, you know."

"Ain't I ollays quiet, miss? Did anybody ever hear me rampage? If you
please, ma'am, the squire's come home."

"What, home from Guestwick? Has he brought Miss Bell?"

"He ain't brought none but hisself, 'cause he come on horseback; and
it's my belief he's going back almost immediate. But he wants you to
come to him, Mrs Dale."

"Oh, yes, I'll come at once."

"He bade me say with his kind love. I don't know whether that makes
any difference."

"At any rate, I'll come, Hopkins."

"And I ain't to say nothing about the headache?"

"About what?" said Mrs Dale.

"No, no, no," said Lily. "Mamma will be there at once. Go and tell my
uncle, there's a good man," and she put up her hand and backed him
out of the room.

"I don't believe she's got no headache at all," said Hopkins,
grumbling, as he returned through the back premises. "What lies
gentlefolks do tell! If I said I'd a headache when I ought to be out
among the things, what would they say to me? But a poor man mustn't
never lie, nor yet drink, nor yet do nothing." And so he went back
with his message.

"What can have brought your uncle home?" said Mrs Dale.

"Just to look after the cattle, and to see that the pigs are not all
dead. My wonder is that he should ever have gone away."

"I must go up to him at once."

"Oh, yes, of course."

"And what shall I say about the house?"

"It's not about that,--at least I think not. I don't think he'll
speak about that again till you speak to him."

"But if he does?"

"You must put your trust in Providence. Declare you've got a bad
headache, as I told Hopkins just now; only you would throw me over by
not understanding. I'll walk with you down to the bridge." So they
went off together across the lawn.

But Lily was s