rbaik was, it is easy to guess at
her anger when one day she found Tephany talking outside the cowhouse to
young Denis, who was nothing more than a day labourer from the village
of Plover. Seizing her niece by the arm, she pulled her sharply away,
exclaiming:

'Are you not ashamed, girl, to waste your time over a man who is as poor
as a rat, when there are a dozen more who would be only too happy to buy
you rings of silver, if you would let them?'

'Denis is a good workman, as you know very well,' answered Tephany, red
with anger, 'and he puts by money too, and soon he will be able to take
a farm for himself.'

'Nonsense,' cried Barbaik, 'he will never save enough for a farm till
he is a hundred. I would sooner see you in your grave than the wife of a
man who carries his whole fortune on his back.'

'What does fortune matter when one is young and strong?' asked Tephany,
but her aunt, amazed at such words, would hardly let her finish.

'What does fortune matter?' repeated Barbaik, in a shocked voice. 'Is it
possible that you are really so foolish as to despise money? If this is
what you learn from Denis, I forbid you to speak to him, and I will have
him turned out of the farm if he dares to show his face here again. Now
go and wash the clothes and spread them out to dry.'

Tephany did not dare to disobey, but with a heavy heart went down the
path to the river.

'She is harder than these rocks,' said the girl to herself, 'yes, a
thousand times harder. For the rain at least can at last wear away the
stone, but you might cry for ever, and she would never care. Talking to
Denis is the only pleasure I have, and if I am not to see him I may as
well enter a convent.'

Thinking these thoughts she reached the bank, and began to unfold the
large packet of linen that had to be washed. The tap of a stick made her
look up, and standing before her she saw a little old woman, whose face
was strange to her.

'You would like to sit down and rest, granny?' asked Tephany, pushing
aside her bundle.

'When the sky is all the roof you have, you rest where you will,'
replied the old woman in trembling tones.

'Are you so lonely, then?' inquired Tephany, full of pity. 'Have you no
friends who would welcome you into their houses?'

The old woman shook her head.

'They all died long, long ago,' she answered, 'and the only friends I
have are strangers with kind hearts.'

The girl did not speak for a moment, then held out the smal