ing way that showed up the feminine softness and charming voice and
general appealing qualities of Nelly Bascombe.

Nelly was a tall, fine woman of forty years old. Her hair was thick and
dark, her eyes a wondrous big pair and so grey as the mist, and her voice
to poor Jane's was like a blackbird against a guinea-fowl. Farmer, he
dropped in the shop pretty often to pass the time of day and measure her
up; and for her part being a man-loving sort of woman, who had lost a good
husband, but didn't see no very stark cause why she shouldn't find
another, she discovered after a bit what was lurking in the farmer's mind.
Then, like the rest of the parish, she wondered, for 'twas never thought
that such an own-self man as Warner, and one so well suited by his
daughter, would spoil his peace with another wife.

But nobody's cleverer to hide his nature than a lover, and Warner found
himself burrowing into Nelly's life a bit and sizing up her character,
though full of caution not to commit himself; and she was very near as
clever as him, and got to weigh up his points, good and bad, and to feel
along with such a man that life might be pleasant enough for a nature like
hers. For she was a good manager with a saving disposition. She liked
John's handsome appearance and reckoned the fifteen year between 'em would
work to suit her. And, more than that, she hated her business, because a
shop-of-all-sorts have got a smell to it like nothing else on earth, and
Nelly found it cast her spirits down a bit as it always had done. She made
no secret of this, and John Warner presently got to see she was friendly
disposed towards him and might easily be had for the asking if he asked
right. He took his time, however, and sounded Jane, where he well knew the
pinch would come.

He gleaned her opinion casual on the subject of a woman here and there,
and he found Jane thought well enough of Mrs. Bascombe, whose shop was
useful and her prices well within reason. But it was a long time before he
made up his mind, the problem being whether to tell Jane of the thing he
was minded to do before he done it, or take the step first and break it to
her after. In the end he reckoned it safer to do the deed and announce it
as an accomplished fact; because he very well knew that she would take it
a good bit to heart and hate with all her might any other female reigning
at Wych Elm but herself.

And meanwhile, all unknown to farmer, Jane chanced to be having a