ch the
maiden had shut herself. 'She is afraid to face me,' said Luke to
himself as he crossed the courtyard. 'No, no, she can't deceive me,
though she is trying.'

The directions Damerel gave to the workmen that afternoon were so
injudicious, that his master happening to overhear him tell a ditcher
to fill up a drain which ought to have been opened, gave him a severe
reprimand. Luke received what was said with the worst feelings,
continually repeating to himself, 'Ah, he has a spite against me now.
He did not make that girl his housekeeper for nothing. _I'm_ not
wanted here, I can see.'

When work was over, it happened that as Luke was returning to his own
cottage he met young Larkin, a neighbouring farmer's son, who asked
him to accompany him to Honiton, where he was going to 'see the
sodgers,' a regiment being about to pass through the town on its way
to form part of Plymouth garrison. To beguile the care which
tormented him, he gladly consented, and having gone home to put on
his Sunday clothes, was soon equipped for the evening's expedition.
The two friends had to pass Modbury's parlour window, and it was
tea-time. Luke cast an inquisitive glance towards it, and trembled
when he saw the blind being slowly pulled up. Presently it revealed
the figure of Lucy, very nicely dressed with a new and handsome cap.
Something having prevented the blind from being drawn quite to the
top, Lucy mounted on the window-seat to adjust it, and when about to
descend, Luke plainly saw his master come forward, give her one hand,
while with the other he assisted her down by the waist! Damerel
grasped the tree he was resting against for support; a film came over
his eyes; but a few rough jokes from Larkin recovered him, and
hearing the military band in the distance, he endeavoured to forget
his cares, and trudged on towards Honiton.

Meanwhile, the moment Lucy had finished her duties at the tea-table,
she hastened to Damerel's cottage, in the hope, not of seeing her
lover, but his mother, alone. The old dame, perceiving her pale and
in low spirits, thought she divined the cause, by supposing the girl
was sorrowing at the imprudence of the step Luke had proposed to her.
'Well, well,' said the kind old woman, 'things may not be so bad
after all, Lucy. And since Luke has set his heart so much upon it,
and you, I am sure, are nothing loath, we must try and manage it.
I'll tell you what I've been thinking, girl. You see the great
mischief