here's a housekeeper, an' I hope you won't think of it, Mr. Tulliver."

"You may set your mind at rest on that score, Mrs. Tulliver," said Mr.
Riley, "for Stelling is married to as nice a little woman as any man
need wish for a wife. There isn't a kinder little soul in the world."

"Father," broke in Maggie, who had stolen to her father's elbow again,
listening with parted lips, while she held her doll topsy-turvy, and
crushed its nose against the wood of the chair--"father, is it a long
way off where Tom is to go? Shan't we ever go to see him?"

"I don't know, my wench," said the father tenderly. "Ask Mr. Riley; he
knows."

Maggie came round promptly in front of Mr. Riley, and said, "How far is
it, please sir?"

"Oh, a long, long way off," that gentleman answered. "You must borrow
the seven-leagued boots to get to him."

"That's nonsense!" said Maggie, tossing her head and turning away with
the tears springing to her eyes.

"Hush, Maggie, for shame of you, chattering so," said her mother.
"Come and sit down on your little stool, and hold your tongue, do.
But," added Mrs. Tulliver, who had her own alarm awakened, "is it so
far off as I couldn't wash him and mend him?"

"About fifteen miles, that's all," said Mr. Riley. "You can drive
there and back in a day quite comfortably. Or--Stelling is a kind,
pleasant man--he'd be glad to have you stay."

"But it's too far off for the linen, I doubt," said Mrs. Tulliver sadly.

Chapter III.

TOM COMES HOME.

Tom was to arrive early one afternoon, and there was another fluttering
heart besides Maggie's when it was late enough for the sound of the gig
wheels to be expected; for if Mrs. Tulliver had a strong feeling, it
was fondness for her boy.

At last the sound came, and in spite of the wind, which was blowing the
clouds about, and was not likely to respect Mrs. Tulliver's curls and
cap-strings, she came and stood outside the door with her hand on
Maggie's head.

"There he is, my sweet lad! But he's got never a collar on; it's been
lost on the road, I'll be bound, and spoilt the set!"

Mrs. Tulliver stood with her arms open; Maggie jumped first on one leg
and then on the other; while Tom stepped down from the gig, and said,
"Hallo, Yap! what, are you there?"

Then he allowed himself to be kissed willingly enough, though Maggie
hung on his neck in rather a strangling fashion, while his blue eyes
wandered towards the croft and the lambs and the rive