id Mary, "and a good woman and faithful to
her aunt, and that's all I know about her."

"Then, for your sake, I'll look deeper into it," Jack promised, and done
so according.

He went in for a dish of tea once and again, much to Mrs. Pedlar's
astonishment, for 'twas a novelty to have a male come in her house; but
Jack took it all very pleasant and heard her wrongs and condoled with her
sufferings and much hoped that things might get themselves righted and
Farmer Bewes be honest and keep his promise to the dead.

And meantime, he took stock of Milly Boon, and, after his first amazement
at her beauty and her lovely voice, and beseeching eyes, he studied her
character. And, after due thought, he came to the conclusion that, though
in his opinion a very beautiful nature belonged to Milly, and she was not
only lovely, but of a gracious and gentle spirit, yet he couldn't feel she
was built to get the whip-hand of a man like Dicky Bewes.

He was properly sorry for all parties that it had to be so, but after a
bit of study and thought over Milly he concluded she was in her right not
to take young Bewes, because no such match would be like to pay her in the
long run.

"She wants a very different man from Dicky," he told his mother, "and
though, such is her fine character, I'm sure she'd like to do all in her
power for Mrs. Pedlar, yet to ask her to put a rope round her neck and
douse her light for evermore, married to a man she couldn't love, be a
thought out of reason in my view."

And Mrs. Cobley said perhaps it might be.

There was a fortnight to run yet before Nicholas Bewes launched his
thunderbolt on Mrs. Pedlar and bade her be gone, and during them days two
men were very busy--one for himself and t'other for other people.

Dicky Bewes, he fought to wear down Milly and bring her into his arms, and
Jack Cobley, he went into calculations and took stock of the cottage in
dispute and finally came to conclusions with himself on the subject. He
felt that if only a personable man could come along and win the girl's
affection, 'twould put her in a strong position, for he was jealous on her
account by now and wished her well; but nobody round about troubled to
court Milly Boon after the people knew that Dick Bewes was making the
running, for they felt he'd win her sure enough if he had patience to hold
on.

So, as there was none else to hope for as might come forward and save the
situation for Jane Pedlar, Jack resolved t