had no money at all, but only
pretended to it; and others again, declared that he knew too well who'd
follow in his shoes at Dunnabridge, and hid his money accordingly, so
that no Drake should have it. For he hated his heirs as only a miser can
hate 'em.

So things stood when Mercy Jane died and Jonathan was left alone. He
paid all his relations' debts, and he had his trouble and the honor of
being honorable for his pains. Everybody respected him something
wonderful; but, all the same, a few of his mother's friends always did
say that 'twas a pity he put his dead father's good name afore his
living mother's life. However, we'm not built in the pattern of our
fellow-creatures, and 'tis only fools that waste time blaming a man for
being himself.

Jonathan went his stern way; and then, in the lonely days after his
parent was taken, when he lived at Dunnabridge, with nought but two
hinds and a brace of sheep-dogs, 'twas suddenly borne in upon his narrow
sight that there might be other women still in the world, though his
mother had gone out of it. And he also discovered, doubtless, that a
home without a woman therein be merely the cruel mockery of what a home
should be.

A good few folk watched Jonathan to see what he'd do about it, and no
doubt a maiden here and there was interested too; because, though a
terrible poor man, he wasn't bad to look at, though rather hard about
the edge of the jaw, and rather short and stern in his manners to human
creatures and beasts alike.

And then beginned his funny courting--if you can call it courting, where
a poor man allows hisself the luxury of pride at the wrong time, and
makes a show of hisself in consequence. At least that's my view; but you
must know that a good few, quite as wise as me, took t'other side, and
held that Jonathan covered his name with glory when he changed his mind
about Hyssop Burges. That was her bitter name, but a pleasanter girl
never walked on shoe-leather. She was Farmer Stonewer's niece to White
Works, and he took her in for a charity, and always said that 'twas the
best day's work as ever he had done. A straight, hardworking, cheerful
sort of a girl, with nothing to name about her very special save a fine
shape and a proud way of holding her head in the air and looking her
fellow creatures in the eyes. Proud she was for certain, and terrible
partickler as to her friends; but there happened to be that about
Jonathan that made flint to her steel. He kno