"

"How the flaming hell should I knaw? I found him same as you finds a
berry on a briar. That's auld history, surely?"

"The child graws so 'mazing like you, that even dim eyes such as mine
can see it."

A sudden flash of light came into Blanchard's face. Then the fire died
as quickly as it had been kindled, and he grew calm.

"God A'mighty!" he said, in a voice hushed and awed. "They think that! I
lay that's why your darter's cried o' nights, then, an' Chris have
grawed sad an' wisht in her ways, an' mother have pet the bwoy wan
moment an' been short wi' un the next."

He remained marvellously quiet under this attack, but amazement chiefly
marked his attitude. Miller Lyddon, encouraged by this unexpected
reasonableness, spoke again more sternly.

"The thing looks bad to a wife an' mother, an' 'tis my duty to ax 'e for
a plain, straightforward answer 'pon it. Human nature's got a ugly trick
of repeatin' itself in this matter, as we all knaws. But I'll say nought
an' think nought till you answers me. Be the bwoy yourn or not? Tell me
true, with your hand on this."

He took his Bible from the mantelpiece, while Will, apparently cowed by
the gravity of the situation, placed both palms upon it, then fixed his
eyes solemnly upon Mr. Lyddon.

"As God in heaven's my judge, he ban't no cheel of mine, and I knaw
nothing about him--no, nor yet his faither nor mother nor plaace of
birth. I found un wheer I said, and if I've lied by a fraction, may God
choke me as I stand here afore you."

"An' I believe you to the bottom!" declared his father-in-law. "I
believe you as I hopes to be believed myself, when I stands afore the
Open Books an' says I've tried to do my duty. You've got me on your
side, an' that's to say you'll have Phoebe an' your mother, tu, for
certain."

Then Blanchard's mood changed, and there came a tremendous rebound from
the tension of the last few minutes. In the anti-climax following upon
his oath, passion, chained a while by astonishment, broke loose in a
whirlwind.

"Let 'em believe or disbelieve, who cares?" he thundered out. "Not
me--not a curse for you or anybody, my awn blood or not my awn blood. To
harbour lies against me! But women loves to believe bad most times."

"Who said they believed it, Will? Doan't go mad, now 'tis awver and
done."

"They _did_ believe it; I knaw, I seed it in theer faaces, come to think
of it. 'Tis the auld song. I caan't do no right. Course I've got childer
an