er as one on
equal terms with themselves. She was a sensible girl, by far too
sensible to nurse on second thoughts a conceit that she was their
superior simply because she spoke better English. Yet habit had
taught her to expect some degree of deference from those who spoke
incorrectly; and we are all touchier upon our vaguely reasoned claims
than upon those of which we have perfect assurance.

"J'p, Pleasant!" Nuncey called to the grey horse, flicking him
lightly with the whip. The ill-balanced trap seesawed down the
slope, and soon was spinning along the cliff-road, across which the
wind blew with such force that Hester caught at her hat.

"Never mind a bit of breeze, my dear. And as for the touch of damp,
'tis nobbut the pride o' the mornin'. All for heat and pilchar's, as
the saying is: we shall have it broiling hot afore noon. Now I come
to think of it, 'tis high time we made our introductions. I'm Nuncey
Benny--that's short for Annunciation. This here hoss and trap belongs
to my mother. She's a regrater when in health; but there's a baby
come. That makes eleven of us. You'll find us a houseful."

"Your father was kind enough to offer me,"--began Hester.

"Iss," broke in Nuncey; "father's kind, whatever else he may be. As
for considerin' where to stow you, that never crossed his head. You
mustn't think, my dear, that you bain't welcome. Only--well, I may
so well get it over soon as late--you'll have to put up with a bed in
the room with me. Shall you mind?"

"Of course I shall not mind," said Hester, conquered at once.

"Well, that's uncommon nice of you; and I don't mind tellin' 'ee 'tis
the second load you've a-lifted off my mind. For, to start with, I
made sure you was goin' to be a frump."

"But why?"

Nuncey had no time to explain, for they were now arrived at the
stationmaster's cottage. The station-master himself welcomed them at
the door, wiping his mouth.

"You'll step in and have a dish of tea, the both of you. It'll take
off the edge of the mornin'."

Nuncey declined, after a glance at Hester, and at once fell to
discussing the weather with the station-master while he hoisted in
the trunk. Two of Hester's earliest discoveries in this strange land
were that everyone talked about the weather, and everyone addressed
everyone else as 'My dear.'

"Well, so long!" said the stationmaster. "Wind's going round wi' the
sun, I see, same as yesterday. We're in for a hot spell, you mark