spectably, but I had to keep a volume of
Shakespeare, Scott, or Wordsworth open before me, and learn it by
heart, to keep away thoughts, which might have been good for me; but
no--they were working on their own bitterness.

Sunday was the hardest day of all to Fulk, for this was the only one on
which he could not be busy enough to tire himself out. We were a mile
from church, and when we got to the worm-eaten farm pew there was a
smell, as Jaquey said, as if generations of farmers had been eating
cheese there, and generations of mice eating after them; and she always
longed to shut up a cat there.

The old curate was very old, and nothing seemed alive but the fiddles
in the gallery--indeed, after the "Penny Magazine" had made us
acquainted with the Nibelung, Jaquey took to calling Sisson, Folker the
mighty fiddler, so determined were his strains.

After the great house was shut up, one service was dropped, and so the
latter part of the day was spent in a visit to all the livestock, Fulk
laden with Alured, and Jaquetta with tit bits for each and all.

She and Alured really enjoyed it, and we tried to think we did! And
then Fulk used to stride off on a long solitary walk, or else sit in
the porch with his arms across, in a dumb heavy silence, till he saw us
looking at him; and then he would shake himself, and go and find
Sisson, and discuss every field and beast with him.

At least we thought we should have been at peace here; but one
afternoon, when Jaquetta had gone across to the village to see some
purchase at the shop, she came back flushed and breathless, and said as
she sat down by me, "Oh! Ursie, Ursie, I met Miss Prior; and _she_ has
bought Spinney Lawn."

_She_ was Hester; it had never meant anyone else amongst us when it was
said in that voice. Fulk, when we told him, had, it appeared, known it
for some days past. All he said was, "Well! she has every right."

And when I exclaimed, "Just like a harpy, come to watch our poor
child!" he said, "Nonsense."

But I knew I was right, and sat brooding--till presently he said, "Put
that out of your head, Ursula, or you will not be able to behave
properly to her."

"I don't see any good in behaving properly to her," said Jaquetta.
"What business has she to come here?"

"I do not choose to regale the neighbourhood with our family
jars"--said Fulk, quietly.

And then--such a ridiculous child as Jaquetta was--she burst out
laughing, and cried, "What a feast