she could bring away nothing else. John Banks passed her on the
road, with a mutual recognition; two disreputable-looking tramps
surveyed her covetously, but ventured on no nearer approach when Jack
remarked, "If you do--!" The old priest of Cranbrook, riding past--a
quiet, kindly old man for whom Jack entertained no aversion--blessed her
in response to her reverence. Two nuns, with inscrutable white marble
faces, took no apparent notice of her. A woman with a basket on her arm
stopped her to ask the way to Frittenden. Passing them all, she turned
away from the road just before reaching Staplehurst, and took the field
pathway which led past Seven Roods. Here Jack showed much uneasiness,
evidently being aware that some friend of his had taken that way before
them, and he decidedly disapproved of Gertrude's turning aside without
going up to the house. The path now led through several fields, and
across a brook spanned by a little rustic bridge, to the stile where it
diverged into the high road from Cranbrook to Maidstone.

As they reached the last field, they saw Tabitha Hall coming to meet
them.

"Glad to see you, Mistress Gertrude! All goes well. The Master and
Mistress Grena's somewhat beyond, going at foot's pace, and looking out
for you. So you won away easy, did you? I reckoned you would."

"Oh, ay, easy enough!" said Gertrude.

But she never knew how near she had been to that which would have made
it almost if not wholly impossible.

"But how shall I ride, I marvel?" she asked, half-laughing. "I can
scarce sit on my father's saddle behind him."

"Oh, look you, we have a pillion old Mistress Hall was wont to ride on,
so Tom took and strapped it on at back of Master's saddle," said
Tabitha, with that elaborate carelessness that people assume when they
know they have done a kindness, but want to make it appear as small as
possible.

"I am truly beholden to you, Mistress Hall; but I must not linger, so I
can only pray God be wi' you," said Gertrude, using the phrase which has
now become stereotyped into "good-bye."

"But, Mistress Gertrude! won't you step up to the house, and take a
snack ere you go further? The fresh butter's but now churned, and eggs
new-laid, and--"

"I thank you much, Mistress Hall, but I must not tarry now. May God of
His mercy keep you and all yours safe!"

And Gertrude, calling Jack, who was deeply interested in a rabbit-hole,
hastened on to the Maidstone Road.

"The