all
all be ruined, and where will the labourer be then?"

And Miss Henderson had looked quite unpleasant. It was high time, she
said, that the labourer should have enough to live on--_decently_; really
thrown the word at you. And Colonel Shepherd had told his wife that he
understood from Hastings Miss Henderson had raised her wages before the
award of the Wages Board. Well, he only hoped the young woman had got
some money behind her, otherwise she would be finding herself in Queer
Street and he would be whistling for his rent.

The wagons drew up in the centre of the market-place, and the band which
the cadets had brought with them struck up "God Save the King." Lady
Alicia rose at once and nudged her little boy, whom she had brought with
her, to take off his cap. She looked approvingly over the crowd, which
was growing denser and denser every moment. It was so that she really
enjoyed the populace--at a safe distance--and ready to lend itself to the
blandishments of its natural leaders. Where was her husband, Colonel
Shepherd? Of course they would want him to speak at some time in the
proceedings. But she looked for him in vain.

Meanwhile, the speaking was beginning from the first cart. A land girl
who had played a rousing part in the recruiting campaign of the early
summer was speaking in a high voice, clearly heard by the crowd. She
was tall and pretty, and spoke without a sign of hesitation or
self-consciousness. She gloried in the harvest, in the splendid news from
the war, in the growth of the Woman's Land Army. "We've just been proud
to do our bit at home while our boys have been fighting over there.
They'll be home soon, perhaps, and won't we give them a welcome! And
we'll show them the harvest that we've helped to reap--the biggest
harvest that England's ever known!--the harvest that's going to beat the
Boche." The young simple voice flowed on, with its simple story and its
note of enthusiasm, and sometimes of humour. "It's hard work, but we love
it! It's cold work often, but we love it! The horses and the cows and the
pigs--they're naughty often, but they're nice!---yes, the pigs, too. It's
the beasts and the fields and the open air we love!"

Betty looked at Jenny with a grin.

"Jenny!--them pigsties yesterday; d'ye think she's ever cleaned one out?"

"I know she has," said Jenny confidentially. "She's Farmer Green's girl,
out Ralstone way. Ee says there ain't nothing she can't do. Ee don't
want no men