riting and telling him
of her surrender, but like most of her kind she shrank from writing
letters except when direly necessary; and she would see Martin
to-morrow--he had promised to come to Ansdore straight from the station.

So instead of writing her letter, she went and washed the tears off her
face over the sink and sat down to a cup of tea and a piece of bread and
dripping with Mrs. Tolhurst and Milly Pump. When Ellen was at home
Joanna was lofty and exclusive, and had her meals in the
dining-room--she did not think it right that her little sister, with all
her new accomplishments and elegancies, should lead the common, kitchen
life--also, of course, when Martin came they sat down in state, with
pink wine-glasses beside their tumblers. But when she was alone she much
preferred a friendly meal with Milly and Mrs. Tolhurst--she even joined
them in pouring her tea into her saucer, and sat with it cooling on her
spread fingers, her elbow on the cloth. She unbent from mistress to
fellow-worker, and they talked the scandal of a dozen farms.

"It's as I said, at Yokes Court," said Mrs. Tolhurst--"there's no good
young Mus' Southland saying as the girl's mother sent for her--_I_ know
better."

"I saw Mrs. Lambarde after church on Sunday," said Joanna, "and she
wasn't expecting Elsie then."

"Elsie went before her box did," said Milly Pump, "Bill Piper fetched it
along after her, as he told me himself."

"I'm sure it's Tom Southland," said Joanna.

"Surelye," said Mrs. Tolhurst, "and all the more as he's been saying at
the Woolpack that the Old Squire's been hanging around after the
girl--which reminds me, Miss Joanna, as I hear Mus' Martin's back this
afternoon."

"This afternoon! He said to-morrow morning."

"Well, he's come this afternoon. Broadhurst met him driving from Rye
station."

"Then he's sure to be over to-night. You get the wine-glasses out, Mrs.
Tolhurst, and spread in the dining-room."

She rose up from table, once more apart from her servants. Her brain was
humming with surprised joy--Martin was back, she would soon see him, he
would be sure to come to her. And then she would tell him of her
surrender, and the cloud would be gone from their love.

With beating heart she ran upstairs to change her dress and tidy
herself, for he might come at any moment. There was a red-brown velvet
dress he particularly liked--she pulled it out of her drawer and
smoothed its folds. Her drawers were crammed and