one to each other grew friendly.
Though he was temporarily in the landlord's employ, he had been for some
years in the service of the Wellin family. Half-consciously he contrasted
Miss Henderson's manner to him with theirs. In his own view he had been
worse treated than an ordinary farm labourer throughout his farming life,
though he had more education, and was expected naturally to have more
brains and foresight than the labourer. He was a little better paid; but
his work and that of his wife was never done. He had got little credit
for success and all the blame for failure. And the Wellin women-folk had
looked down on his wife and himself. A little patronage sometimes, and
worthless gifts, that burnt in the taking; but no common feeling, no real
respect. But Miss Henderson was different. His rather downtrodden
personality felt a stimulus. He began to hope that when she came into
possession she would take him on. A woman could not possibly make
anything of Great End without a bailiff!

Her "nice" looks, no doubt, counted for something. Her face was, perhaps,
a little too full for beauty--the delicately coloured cheeks and the
large smiling mouth. But her brown eyes were very fine, with very dark
pupils, and marked eyebrows; and her nose and chin, with their soft,
blunted lines, seemed to promise laughter and easy ways. She was very
lightly and roundly made; and everything about her, her step, her
sunburn, her freckles, her evident muscular strength, spoke of open-air
life and physical exercise. Yet, for all this general aspect of a comely
country-woman, there was much that was sharply sensitive and individual
in the face. Even a stranger might well feel that its tragic, as well as
its humorous or tender possibilities, would have to be reckoned with.

"All right!" said Miss Henderson at last, closing her little notebook
with a snap, "now I think we've been through everything. I'll take
over one cart, and Mrs. Wellin must remove the other. I'll buy the
chaff-cutter and the dairy things, but not the reaping machine--"

"I'm afraid that'll put Mrs. Wellin out considerably!" threw in Hastings.

"Can't help it. I can't have the place cluttered up with old iron like
that. It's worth nothing. I'm sure _you_ wouldn't advise me to buy it!"

She looked with bright decision at her companion, who smiled a little
awkwardly, and said nothing. The old long habit of considering the Wellin
interest first, before any other in the worl