"Why, father! Who has been rating you?"

"Myself, to be sure. You can't think what set-downs I have given William
Sandal. Do you mind telling me about that refusal, Charlotte? Eh? What?"

"Not a bit. It was in the harvest-field. He said he loved me, and I told
him gentlemen did not talk that way to girls who had never given them
the least encouragement; and I said I did not love him, and never, never
could love him. I was very firm, father, perhaps a little bit cross; for
I did not like the way he spoke. I don't think he admires me at all now."

"I dare be bound he doesn't. 'Firm and a little bit cross.' It wouldn't
be a nice five minutes for Julius. He sets a deal of store by himself;"
and then, as if he thought it was his duty not to show too much
gratification, he added, "I hope you were very civil, Charlotte. A good
asker should have a good nay-say. And you refused him? Well, I _am_
pleased. Mother never heard tell of it? Eh? What?"

"Oh, no; I have told no one but you. At the long end you always get at
my secrets, father."

"We've had a goodish few together,--fishing secrets, and such like; but
I must tell mother this one, eh? She _will_ go on about it. In the
harvest-field, was it? I understand now why he walked himself off a day
or two before the set day. And he is all for Sophia now, is he? Well, I
shouldn't wonder if Sophia will 'best' him a little on every side. You
_have_ given me a turn, Charlotte. I didn't think of a son-in-law
yet,--not just yet. Dear me! How life does go on! Ever since the
sheep-shearing it has been running away with me. Life is a road on which
there is no turning round, Charlotte. Oh, if there only were! If you
could just run back to where you made the wrong turning! If you could
only undo things that you have done! Eh? What?"

"Not even God can make what has been, not to have been. When a thing is
done, if it is only the taking of a walk, the walk is taken to all
eternity."

At the word "eternity," they stood on the brow of the hill which they
had been climbing, and the squire said it again very solemnly.
"Eternity! How dreadful to spend it in repentance which can undo
nothing! That is the most awful conception of the word 'eternity.' Eh?
What?"

They were silent a moment, then Sandal turned and looked westward. "It
is mizzling already, Charlotte; the snow will turn into rain, and we
shall have a downpour. Had we not better go home?"

But Charlotte painted in such glowing colo