catalogue of an
Agricultural Show, and a school prize copy of _Black Beauty_. Before
the second night was over Claire had read _Black Beauty_ from cover to
cover; the next morning she was dipping into the catalogue, and trying
to concentrate her attention on "stock."

As her body grew rested, Claire's mind became increasingly active. It
was inevitable, but the second stage was infinitely harder to bear. For
the first hours after her arrival her supreme longing had been to lie
down and shut her eyes; but now restlessness overtook her, and with
every fresh hour drove her more helplessly to and fro. She went out for
long walks over the countryside, her thoughts so engrossingly turned
inward that she saw nothing of the landscape on either hand; she
returned to the house and endeavoured to write, to read, to sew, only to
give up the attempt at the end of half an hour, and once more wander
helplessly forth.

The good countrywoman was quick to sense that some hidden trouble was
preying on her guest, and showed her sympathy in practical fashion.

"A bit piney-like, aren't you? I seed from the first that you was
piney-like," she said, standing tray in hand on the threshold of the
little parlour, her fresh, highly-coloured face smiling kindly upon the
pale girl. "I always do say that I pities ladies when they has anything
on their minds; sitting about, same as you do now, with nothing to take
them off theirselves. A body like me that has to keep a house clean,
and cook and wash, and mind the children, to say naught of the sewing
and the mending, and looking after the cows and the hens, and all the
extra fusses and worries that come along, she hasn't got no time to
remember herself, and when she gets to bed she's too tired to think.
Now if you was to have some work--"

Claire's face brightened with a sudden inspiration.

"Will you give me some work? Let me help _you_! Do, please, Mrs
Corby; I'd be so grateful. Let me come into the kitchen and do
something now. I feel so lonely shut off here, all by myself."

Mrs Corby laughed, her fat comfortable laugh.

"Bless your 'art, you can come along and welcome. I'll be proud to have
you. It ain't much you know of housework, I expect, but it'll do you no
harm to learn. I'll find you some little jobs."

"Oh, I'm not so useless as you think. I can brush and dust, and polish,
and wash up, and I know a good deal about cooking. I'll make a salad to
eat with the cold mea