I don't see what's the use of my going
in," said he. To this she made him no answer. "There's a pride about
me," he continued, "that I don't choose to go where I'm not wanted."

"I can't tell you, Mr Cheesacre, that you are wanted in that light,
certainly."

"Then I'll go. Perhaps you'll be so good as to tell the boy with
the gig to come after me? That's six pound ten it will have cost me
to come here and go back. Bellfield did it cheaper, of course; he
travelled second class. I heard of him as I came along."

"The expense does not matter to you, Mr Cheesacre."

To this he assented, and then took his leave, at first offering his
hand to Mrs Greenow with an air of offended dignity, but falling back
almost into humility during the performance of his adieu. Before he
was gone he had invited her to bring the Captain to Oileymead when
she was married, and had begged her to tell Miss Vavasor how happy he
should be to receive her. "And Mr Cheesacre," said the widow, as he
walked back along the road, "don't forget dear Charlie Fairstairs."

They were all standing at the front door of the house when Mrs
Greenow re-appeared,--Alice, Kate, Captain Bellfield, the Shap boy,
and the Shap horse and gig. "Where is he?" Kate asked in a low voice,
and everyone there felt how important was the question. "He has
gone," said the widow. Bellfield was so relieved that he could not
restrain his joy, but took off his little straw hat and threw it up
into the air. Kate's satisfaction was almost as intense. "I am so
glad," said she. "What on earth should we have done with him?" "I
never was so disappointed in my life," said Alice. "I have heard so
much of Mr Cheesacre, but have never seen him." Kate suggested that
she should get into the gig and drive after him. "He ain't a been and
took hisself off?" suggested the boy, whose face became very dismal
as the terrible idea struck him. But, with juvenile craft, he put his
hand on the carpet-bag, and finding that it did not contain stones,
was comforted. "You drive after him, young gentleman, and you'll find
him on the road to Shap," said Mrs Greenow. "Mind you give him my
love," said the Captain in his glee, "and say I hope he'll get his
turnips in well."

This little episode went far to break the day, and did more than
anything else could have done to put Captain Bellfield at his ease.
It created a little joint-stock fund of merriment between the whole
party, which was very much needed. The a