her people's feelings, but I don't know that
mine are very much thought of." He was not altogether in a happy
mood, and Lily almost regretted that she had persevered; but she did
succeed in carrying him off across the garden to the cottage, and
as they went together she promised him that she would think of him
always,--always. The scene with Hopkins cannot be described now, as
it would take too many of our few remaining pages. It resulted, I am
afraid I must confess, in nothing more triumphant to the squire than
a treaty of mutual forgiveness. Hopkins acknowledged, with much
self-reproach, that his feelings had been too many for him; but then,
look at his provocation! He could not keep his tongue from that
matter, and certainly said as much in his own defence as he did in
confession of his sins. The substantial triumph was altogether his,
for nobody again ever dared to interfere with his operations in the
farmyard. He showed his submission to his master mainly by consenting
to receive his wages for the two weeks which he had passed in
idleness.

Owing to this little accident, Lily was not so much oppressed by
Hopkins as she had expected to be in that matter of their altered
plans; but this salvation did not extend to Mrs Hearn, to Mrs Crump,
or, above all, to Mrs Boyce. They, all of them, took an interest more
or less strong in the Hopkins controversy; but their interest in the
occupation of the Small House was much stronger, and it was found
useless to put Mrs Hearn off with the gardener's persistent refusal
of his wages, when she was big with inquiry whether the house was to
be painted inside, as well as out. "Ah," said she, "I think I'll go
and look at lodgings at Guestwick myself, and pack up some of my
beds." Lily made no answer to this, feeling that it was a part of
that punishment which she had expected. "Dear, dear," said Mrs Crump
to the two girls; "well, to be sure, we should 'a been 'lone without
'ee, and mayhap we might 'a got worse in your place; but why did 'ee
go and fasten up all your things in them big boxes, just to unfasten
'em all again?"

"We changed our minds, Mrs Crump," said Bell, with some severity.

"Yees, I know ye changed your mindses. Well, it's all right for loiks
o' ye, no doubt; but if we changes our mindses, we hears of it."

"So, it seems, do we!" said Lily. "But never mind, Mrs Crump. Do you
send us our letters up early, and then we won't quarrel."

"Oh, letters! Drat them for le