ease and humour which had been wont to
distinguish him. He took his breakfast as it came, without a single
joke about it, or preference of this to that; but with sly soft looks
at Annie, who seemed unable to sit quiet, or to look at any one
steadfastly. I feared in my heart what was coming on, and felt truly
sorry for poor mother. After breakfast it became my duty to see to the
ploughing of a barley-stubble ready for the sowing of a French grass,
and I asked Tom Faggus to come with me, but he refused, and I knew the
reason. Being resolved to allow him fair field to himself, though with
great displeasure that a man of such illegal repute should marry into
our family, which had always been counted so honest, I carried my dinner
upon my back, and spent the whole day with the furrows.

When I returned, Squire Faggus was gone; which appeared to me but
a sorry sign, inasmuch as if mother had taken kindly to him and his
intentions, she would surely have made him remain awhile to celebrate
the occasion. And presently no doubt was left: for Lizzie came running
to meet me, at the bottom of the woodrick, and cried,--

'Oh, John, there is such a business. Mother is in such a state of mind,
and Annie crying her eyes out. What do you think? You would never guess,
though I have suspected it, ever so long.'

'No need for me to guess,' I replied, as though with some indifference,
because of her self-important air; 'I knew all about it long ago. You
have not been crying much, I see. I should like you better if you had.'

'Why should I cry? I like Tom Faggus. He is the only one I ever see with
the spirit of a man.'

This was a cut, of course, at me. Mr. Faggus had won the goodwill of
Lizzie by his hatred of the Doones, and vows that if he could get a
dozen men of any courage to join him, he would pull their stronghold
about their ears without any more ado. This malice of his seemed strange
to me, as he had never suffered at their hands, so far at least as I
knew; was it to be attributed to his jealousy of outlaws who excelled
him in his business? Not being good at repartee, I made no answer to
Lizzie, having found this course more irksome to her than the very best
invective: and so we entered the house together; and mother sent at once
for me, while I was trying to console my darling sister Annie.

'Oh, John! speak one good word for me,' she cried with both hands laid
in mine, and her tearful eyes looking up at me.

'Not one, my p