funny time to be plantin'
'em."

"When you grow a little older," said Mrs Bosenna icily, "you'll know
that anything can be done with roses in these days--with proper
precautions. Why"--she turned to Captain Cai--"I've planted out roses
in July month--in pots, of course. You break the pots in the October
following. But there must be precautions."

"Meanin' manure?"

"Cow," interposed Dinah tersely, "it's the best. Pig comes next, for
various reasons."

"We need not go into details," said Mrs Bosenna. "I sent down a
cartload this morning and had it well dug in. Provided you dig it deep
enough, and don't let it touch the young roots--"

"I thank you kindly, ma'am," said Captain Cai, "and so will my friend
'Bias Hunken when he hears of it."

"Ah, my other tenant?--or tenant in prospect, I ought to say. He has
not arrived yet, I understand."

"He's due to-morrow, ma'am, by th' afternoon train."

"You must bring him over to Rilla Farm, to call on me," said Mrs Bosenna
graciously.

Captain Cai rubbed his chin. He was taken at unawares; and not finding
the familiar beard under his fingers, grew strangely helpless. "As for
that, ma'am," he stammered, "I ought to warn you that 'Bias isn' easily
caught."

"God defend me!" answered the widow, who had a free way of speaking at
times. "Who wants to catch him?"

"You don't take my meanin', ma'am, if you'll excuse me," floundered
Captain Cai in a sweat. "I ought to ha' said that 'Bias, though one in
a thousand, is terrible shy with females--or ladies, as I should say."

"He'll be all the more welcome for that," said Mrs Bosenna relentlessly.
"You must certainly bring him, Captain Hocken."

Before he could protest further, she had shaken hands, gathered up
trowel and kneeling-pad, given them into Dinah's keeping, unpinned and
shaken down the skirt of her black gown, and was gone--gone up the
twilit path, her handmaiden following,--gone with a fleeting smile that,
while ignoring Fancy Tabb, left Captain Cai strangely perturbed, so
nicely it struck a balance between understanding and aloofness.

He rubbed his chin, then his ear, then the back of his neck.

"Lord!" he groaned suddenly, "where was my manners?"

"Eh?"

"I never said a word about her affliction."

"What might _that_ be, in your opinion?"

"Her first husband, o' course--or, as I _should_ say, the loss of him.
Shockin' thing to forget. . . . I've almost a mind now to follow her an'
make my e