ttle thought you'd ever beg
for anything I could give as would be denied, Sis," he said; "but you be
called to see this with my eyes. I've had the cruel misfortune to catch
Mr. Green doing evil, and well he knowed he was; and duty's duty, so he
must come along with me. And if you know me, as well as you do know me,
you know there's nought else possible for me now."

She lifted her voice for her father, however, and strove to show him what
a pitiful small thing it was.

"What stuff are you made of, my dear man?" cried Cicely. "Be a wretched
bird that nobody owns, and may have flown to Trusham from the other side
of the country, going to make you outrage my father and disgrace his
family? I could be cross if I didn't reckon you was in a waking dream."

She ran on, but he stopped her, for he knew his number was up by now and
didn't see no use in piling up no more agony for any of 'em.

"Listen!" he shouted out, so as the woods over against 'em echoed with the
roar of his big voice. "Listen to me, the pair of you, and be done. I
can't hear no more, because there's higher things on earth than love of
woman. I'm paid--I'm paid the nation's money, you understand, to do my
duty. I'm paid my wages by the State, and I've made an oath afore God
Almighty to do what I've undertaken to do to the best of my human power.
And I've catched a man doing evil, and I've got to take him to justice if
all the angels in heaven prayed me to let him free."

"If the angels in heaven be more to 'e than her you've called an angel on
earth, Samuel," answered back Cicely, "then be it so. I understand now the
worth of all you've said--and swore also; but your oath to the police
stands higher than your oaths to me seemingly, so there's no call to waste
no more of your time, nor yet mine. Only know this: if my father sleeps in
clink to-night, I'll never wed you, nor look at you again, so help me,
God! And now what about it?"

"Think twice," he said, walking very close to her and looking in her
beautiful eyes. "Think twice, my dear heart."

But she shook her head and he only see tears there full of moonshine.

"No need to think twice," she answered. "You know me, Samuel."

He heaved a hugeous sigh then and looked at the waiting man. Chawner was
swinging his pheasant by the legs and regarding 'em standing up together.
But he said nought.

Then Samuel turned and beckoned Mr. Green with a policeman's nod that
can't be denied. And Chawner followed a