feeling at once; and I am sure
that you will best carry out what would have been his wishes by setting
to your work again instead of wasting your time in listless grieving."

"I think so too, sir," Ned said, "but it will be awfully hard at first,
and so terrible to come home and have no one to question one on the
day's work, and to take an interest in what we have been doing."

"Very hard, Ned; I thoroughly agree with you, but it has to be borne,
and remember there is One who will take interest in your work. If I were
you I should take your brother out for walks this week. Get up into the
hills with him, and try and get the color back into his cheeks again.
He is not so strong as you are, and the confinement is telling upon
him--the fresh air will do you good, too."

Ned promised to take his master's advice, and the next morning started
after breakfast with Charlie. His mother had not yet risen, and indeed
had not been downstairs since the day of the accident, protesting that
she was altogether unequal to any exertion whatever. Ned had sat with
her for many hours each day, but he had indeed found it hard work.
Sometimes she wept, her tears being mingled with self reproaches
that she had not been able to do more to brighten her husband's life.
Sometimes she would break off and reproach the boy bitterly for what she
called his want of feeling. At other times her thoughts seemed directed
solely toward the fashion of her mourning garments, and after the
funeral she drove Ned almost to madness by wanting to knew all the
details of who was there and what was done, and was most indignant with
him because he was able to tell her nothing, the whole scene having been
as a mist to him, absorbed as he was in the thought of his father alone.

But Ned had never showed the least sign of impatience or hastiness,
meeting tears, reproaches, and inquiries with the same stoical calmness
and gentleness. Still it was with a sigh of relief that he took a long
breath of fresh air as he left the house and started for a ramble on the
moor with his brother. He would have avoided Varley, for he shrank even
from the sympathy which Bill Swinton would give; but Bill would be
away, so as it was the shortest way he took that road. As he passed Luke
Marner's cottage the door opened and Mary came down to the gate. One of
the little ones had seen Ned coming along the road and had run off to
tell her. Little Jane Marner trotted along by Polly's side.