ked at her, she could no longer keep the secret.

'It is my fault,' she cried; 'I have driven him away! What shall I do?'

The nature of the quarrel was at once guessed, and her two elders said no
more. Anne rose and went to the front door, where she listened for every
sound with a palpitating heart. Then she went in; then she went out: and
on one occasion she heard the miller say, 'I wonder what hath passed
between Bob and Anne. I hope the chap will come home.'

Just about this time light footsteps were heard without, and Bob bounced
into the passage. Anne, who stood back in the dark while he passed,
followed him into the room, where her mother and the miller were on the
point of retiring to bed, candle in hand.

'I have kept ye up, I fear,' began Bob cheerily, and apparently without
the faintest recollection of his tragic exit from the house. 'But the
truth on't is, I met with Fess Derriman at the "Duke of York" as I went
from here, and there we have been playing Put ever since, not noticing
how the time was going. I haven't had a good chat with the fellow for
years and years, and really he is an out and out good comrade--a regular
hearty! Poor fellow, he's been very badly used. I never heard the
rights of the story till now; but it seems that old uncle of his treats
him shamefully. He has been hiding away his money, so that poor Fess
might not have a farthing, till at last the young man has turned, like
any other worm, and is now determined to ferret out what he has done with
it. The poor young chap hadn't a farthing of ready money till I lent him
a couple of guineas--a thing I never did more willingly in my life. But
the man was very honourable. "No; no," says he, "don't let me deprive
ye." He's going to marry, and what may you think he is going to do it
for?'

'For love, I hope,' said Anne's mother.

'For money, I suppose, since he's so short,' said the miller.

'No,' said Bob, 'for _spite_. He has been badly served--deuced badly
served--by a woman. I never heard of a more heartless case in my life.
The poor chap wouldn't mention names, but it seems this young woman has
trifled with him in all manner of cruel ways--pushed him into the river,
tried to steal his horse when he was called out to defend his country--in
short, served him rascally. So I gave him the two guineas and said, "Now
let's drink to the hussy's downfall!"'

'O!' said Anne, having approached behind him.

Bob turned and saw