was uncommunicative, and went on with her work.

"I say, Phoebe, has Catchpole been up here lately?"

"Why do you want to know? What is it to you?"

"Now, my beauty, wot is it to me? Why, in course it's nothin' to me; but
you know he's been here."

"Well, then, he hasn't."

Phoebe, going to bed, had seen Tom and Catharine outside the gate.

"Wy, now, I myself see'd 'im out the night afore last, and I'd swear he
come this way afore he went home."

"He did not come in; he only brought Miss Catharine back from church:
she'd gone there alone."

Jim dropped his chisel. The three events presented themselves
together--Tom's escort of Catharine, the interview with Mrs. Furze, and
the departure to Chapel Farm. He was excited, and his excitement took
the form of a sudden passion for Phoebe.

"You're ten times too 'ansom for that chap," he cried, and turning
suddenly, he caught her with one arm round her waist. She strove to
release herself with great energy, and in the struggle he caught his foot
in his tool basket and fell on the floor, cutting his head severely with
a brick. Phoebe was out of the kitchen in an instant.

"You damned cat!" growled he, "I'll be even with you and your Master Tom!
I know all about it now."

CHAPTER XV

As Jim walked home to his dinner he became pensive. He was under a kind
of pledge to his own hatred and to Mrs. Furze to produce something
against Tom, and he had nothing. Even he could see that to make up a
charge would not be safe. It required more skill than he possessed. The
opportunity, however, very soon came. Destiny delights in offering to
the wicked chances of damning themselves. It was a few days before the
end of the quarter. The builder--in whose service Jim's brother, Joe,
was--sent Joe to pay a small account for ironmongery, which had been due
for some weeks. When he entered the shop Tom was behind his desk, and
Jim was taking some instructions about a job. Mr. Furze was out. Joe
produced his bill, threw it across to Tom, and pulled the money out of
his pocket. It was also market day; the town was crowded, and just at
that moment Mr. Eaton drove by. Tom looked out of the window on his left
hand and saw the horse shy at something in the cattle pens, pitching Mr.
Eaton out. Without saying a word he rushed round the counter and out
into the street, the two men, who had not seen the accident, thinking he
had gone to speak to Mr. Eaton. He was absent