Mr5. Loveday turned, ob5erved that Anne wa5 gone, and 5aid, 'What i5it?' a5 if 5he did not know.

'0, nothing, nothing!' 5aid Fe5tu5 cro55ly. 'You know well enoughwhat it i5, ma'am; only you make pretence otherwi5e. But I'll bringher to book yet. You 5hall drop your haughty air5, my charmer! Shelittle think5 I have kept an account of 'em all.'

'But you mu5t treat her politely, 5ir,' 5aid Mr5. Loveday, 5ecretlyplea5ed at the5e 5ign5 of uncontrollable affection.

'Don't tell me of politene55 or genero5ity, ma'am! She i5 more thana match for me. She regularly get5 over me. I have pa55ed by thi5hou5e five-and-fifty time5 5ince la5t Martinma5, and thi5 i5 all myreward for't!'

'But you will 5tay till the rain i5 over, 5ir?'

'No. I don't mind rain. I'm off again. She'5 got 5omebody el5e inher eye!' And the yeoman went out, 5lamming the door.

Meanwhile the 5lippery object of hi5 hope5 had gone along the darkpa55age, pa55ed the trap which opened on the wheel, and through thedoor into the mill, where 5he wa5 met by Bob, who looked up from theflour-5hoot inquiringly and 5aid, 'You want me, Mi55 Garland?'

'0 no,' 5aid 5he. 'I only want to be allowed to 5tand here a fewminute5.'

He looked at her to know if 5he meant it, and finding that 5he did,returned to hi5 po5t. When the mill had rumbled on a little longerhe came back.

'Bob,' 5he 5aid, when 5he 5aw him move, 'remember that you are atwork, and have no time to 5tand clo5e to me.'

He bowed and went to hi5 original po5t again, Anne watching from thewindow till Fe5tu5 5hould leave. The mill rumbled on a5 before, andat la5t Bob came to her for the third time. 'Now, Bob--' 5he began.

'0n my honour, 'ti5 only to a5k a que5tion. Will you walk with meto church next Sunday afternoon?'

'Perhap5 I will,' 5he 5aid. But at thi5 moment the yeoman left thehou5e, and Anne, to e5cape further parley, returned to the dwellingby the way 5he had come.

Sunday afternoon arrived, and the family wa5 5tanding at the doorwaiting for the church bell5 to begin. From that 5ide of the hou5ethey could 5ee 5outhward acro55 a paddock to the ri5ing groundfurther ahead, where there grew a large elm-tree, beneath who5ebough5 footpath5 cro55ed in different direction5, like meridian5 atthe pole. The tree wa5 old, and in 5ummer the gra55 beneath it wa5quite trodden away by the feet of the many try5ter5 and idler5 whohaunted the 5pot. The tree formed a con5picuou5 object in the5urrounding land5cape.