er urgent request, and ran off in
excitement with the treasure. Joanna remained with Mr. Huxtable for a
final interview.

Sec.2

"Well," he said, "I expect you'll want me to help you a bit, Miss
Joanna."

Joanna had sat down again at the end of the table--big, tousled,
over-dressed, alive. Huxtable surveyed her approvingly. "A damn fine
woman," he said to himself, "she'll marry before long."

"I'm sure I'm much obliged to you, Mr. Huxtable," said Joanna, "there's
many a little thing I'd like to talk over with you."

"Well, now's your time, young lady. I shan't have to be home for an hour
or two yet. The first thing is, I suppose, for me to find you a bailiff
for this farm."

"No, thank you kindly. I'll manage that."

"What! Do you know of a man?"

"No--I mean I'll manage the farm."

"You! My dear Miss Joanna ..."

"Well, why not? I've been bred up to it from a child. I used to do
everything with poor father."

As she said the last word her brightness became for a moment dimmed, and
tears swam into her eyes for the first time since she had taken the
ceremonial handkerchief away from them. But the next minute she lighted
up again.

"He showed me a lot--he showed me everything. I could do it much better
than a man who doesn't know our ways."

"But--" the lawyer hesitated, "but it isn't just a question of
knowledge, Miss Joanna; it's a question of--how shall I put it?--well,
of authority. A woman is always at a disadvantage when she has to
command men."

"I'd like to see the man I couldn't make mind me."

Huxtable grinned. "Oh, I've no doubt whatever that you could get
yourself obeyed; but the position--the whole thing--you'd find it a
great strain, and people aren't as a rule particularly helpful to a
woman they see doing what they call a man's job."

"I don't want anyone's help. I know my own business and my poor father's
ways. That's enough for me."

"Did your father ever say anything to you about this?"

"Oh no--he being only fifty-one and never thinking he'd be took for a
long while yet. But I know it's what he'd have wanted, or why did he
trouble to show me everything? And always talked to me about things as
free as he did to Fuller and Stuppeny."

"He would want you to do the best for yourself--he wouldn't want you to
take up a heavy burden just for his sake."

"Oh, it ain't just for his sake, it's for my own. I don't want a strange
man messing around, and Ansdore's mine, and I'm pro