.

Mrs. Loveday turned, observed that Anne was gone, and said, 'What is it?'
as if she did not know.

'O, nothing, nothing!' said Festus crossly. 'You know well enough what
it is, ma'am; only you make pretence otherwise. But I'll bring her to
book yet. You shall drop your haughty airs, my charmer! She little
thinks I have kept an account of 'em all.'

'But you must treat her politely, sir,' said Mrs. Loveday, secretly
pleased at these signs of uncontrollable affection.

'Don't tell me of politeness or generosity, ma'am! She is more than a
match for me. She regularly gets over me. I have passed by this house
five-and-fifty times since last Martinmas, and this is all my reward
for't!'

'But you will stay till the rain is over, sir?'

'No. I don't mind rain. I'm off again. She's got somebody else in her
eye!' And the yeoman went out, slamming the door.

Meanwhile the slippery object of his hopes had gone along the dark
passage, passed the trap which opened on the wheel, and through the door
into the mill, where she was met by Bob, who looked up from the flour-
shoot inquiringly and said, 'You want me, Miss Garland?'

'O no,' said she. 'I only want to be allowed to stand here a few
minutes.'

He looked at her to know if she meant it, and finding that she did,
returned to his post. When the mill had rumbled on a little longer he
came back.

'Bob,' she said, when she saw him move, 'remember that you are at work,
and have no time to stand close to me.'

He bowed and went to his original post again, Anne watching from the
window till Festus should leave. The mill rumbled on as before, and at
last Bob came to her for the third time. 'Now, Bob--' she began.

'On my honour, 'tis only to ask a question. Will you walk with me to
church next Sunday afternoon?'

'Perhaps I will,' she said. But at this moment the yeoman left the
house, and Anne, to escape further parley, returned to the dwelling by
the way she had come.

Sunday afternoon arrived, and the family was standing at the door waiting
for the church bells to begin. From that side of the house they could
see southward across a paddock to the rising ground further ahead, where
there grew a large elm-tree, beneath whose boughs footpaths crossed in
different directions, like meridians at the pole. The tree was old, and
in summer the grass beneath it was quite trodden away by the feet of the
many trysters and idlers who haunted the spot. The tr