Thompson and Davies said
'Good-night' to him at his cottage door, calling him a brave fellow, and
giving him a fine young leveret, with the promise that he should have his
share of whatever money they received for their spoil, he entered his
dark home, where every one was slumbering peacefully, and, without a
thought of sorrow or repentance, was quickly asleep himself.

CHAPTER VIII.

STEPHEN AND THE GAMEKEEPER.

Martha's exclamation of surprise and delight at seeing the leveret was
the first sound that Stephen heard in the morning; but he preserved a
sullen silence as to his absence the previous night, and Martha was too
shrewd to press him with questions. They had not been unused to such fare
during their father's lifetime; and it was settled between them that she
should come down from the bilberry-plain early in the afternoon to make a
feast of the leveret by the time of Stephen's return from the pit.

All day long Stephen found himself treated with marked distinction and
favour by Black Thompson and his comrades, to some of whom he heard him
say, in a loud whisper, that 'Stephen 'ud show himself a chip of the old
block yet.' At dinner they invited him to sit within their circle, where
he laughed and talked with the best of them, and was listened to as if he
were already a man. How different to his usually hurried meal beside the
horses, that worked like himself in the dark, close passages, but did
not, like him, ascend each evening to the grassy fields and the pure air
of the upper earth! Stephen had a true tenderness in his nature towards
these dumb fellow-labourers, and they loved the sound of his voice, and
the kindly patting of his hand; but somehow he felt as if they knew how
he had left his faithful old Snip unburied on the open hillside, where
Black Thompson had found him in his passion the evening before. He was
not sorry for what he had done; he would avenge himself on the gamekeeper
again whenever there was an opportunity. Even now, he promised Black
Thompson, when they were away from the other colliers, to show him the
haunts of the scarce black grouse, which would be so valuable to the
gamekeeper; and he enjoyed Black Thompson's applause. But there was a
sore pang in his heart, as he remembered dead Snip, unburied on the
hillside.

Supper was ready when he reached home; and what a savoury smell came
through the open door, quite down to the wicket! Of course Snip was not
watching for him; an