urkey cock, when Mrs
Pucklechurch burst in with two or three maids behind her.

"Oh, ma'am, Jack Swing's coming and all the rabble rout. What ever
shall we do?" was the gasping, screaming cry.

"Only be quiet. There's nothing for any one to fear. If they do harm,
it is to things, not people. I only go away for the sake of this child!
No, Mary dear, nobody will hurt you. You are going for a nice early
walk with mamma and baby and Rachel. You,"--to the maids--"may follow
if you will feel safer so, but I do not believe there is any real danger
to you. Betty Pucklechurch, please tell your husband that I do beg him
not to resist. It would be of no use, his master would not wish it,
only if he will take care that the poor cattle and horses come to no
harm."

"He have gone to drive 'em off already to Longacre," said Betty. "I
tell'd he, he'd better stand by master's goods, but he be a man for his
cows, he be."

"Quite right of him," said Mrs Carbonel. "Have you baby's bottle,
Rachel? Now, Mary dear, here's your piece of seed cake."

The shouts and singing sounded alarmingly as if approaching by this
time, and little Mary listened and said, "Funny mens singing."

It was very loud as the fugitives gained the verandah, where Tirzah
waited with an angry light in her black eyes. "Oh! won't I give it to
Joe Todd," she cried, "for turning against the best friend Hoglah ever
had--or me either."

Mary, carrying her little Mary, and trying to keep a smile that might
reassure her, followed Tirzah across the orchard on the opposite side of
the house. They had to scramble through a gap in the hedge; Tirzah went
over first, breaking it down further, then the baby was put into her
arms, and Rachel came next, receiving Mary from her mother, who was
telling her how funny it was to get over poor papa's fence, all among
the apple trees, and here was Don jumping after them. Don, the Clumber
spaniel, wanted a bit of Mary's cake, and this and her mother's jump
down from the hedge and over the ditch, happily distracted her
attention, and made her laugh, while the three maids were screaming that
here were the rascals, hundreds of them a-coming up the drive; they saw
them over the apple trees when on the top of the hedge, and heard their
horrid shouts. "Oh, the nasty villains, with black faces and all!"

Mrs Carbonel dreaded these cries almost as much as the mob itself for
her delicate child, and went on talking to her and sayi