t o' the way,
and then it'll be easier to get sticks and things for the rest. See
here, round the big pit, what a many stones!"

She skipped forward to the pit, meaning to lift one of the stones and
exhibit her strength, but she started back in surprise.

"Oh, father, just come and look here," she exclaimed--"come and see how
the water's gone down since yesterday. Why, yesterday the pit was ever
so full!"

"Well, to be sure," said Silas, coming to her side. "Why, that's the
draining they've begun on, since harvest, i' Mr. Osgood's fields, I
reckon. The foreman said to me the other day, when I passed by 'em,
"Master Marner," he said, "I shouldn't wonder if we lay your bit o'
waste as dry as a bone." It was Mr. Godfrey Cass, he said, had gone
into the draining: he'd been taking these fields o' Mr. Osgood."

"How odd it'll seem to have the old pit dried up!" said Eppie, turning
away, and stooping to lift rather a large stone. "See, daddy, I can
carry this quite well," she said, going along with much energy for a
few steps, but presently letting it fall.

"Ah, you're fine and strong, aren't you?" said Silas, while Eppie
shook her aching arms and laughed. "Come, come, let us go and sit down
on the bank against the stile there, and have no more lifting. You
might hurt yourself, child. You'd need have somebody to work for
you--and my arm isn't over strong."

Silas uttered the last sentence slowly, as if it implied more than met
the ear; and Eppie, when they sat down on the bank, nestled close to
his side, and, taking hold caressingly of the arm that was not over
strong, held it on her lap, while Silas puffed again dutifully at the
pipe, which occupied his other arm. An ash in the hedgerow behind made
a fretted screen from the sun, and threw happy playful shadows all
about them.

"Father," said Eppie, very gently, after they had been sitting in
silence a little while, "if I was to be married, ought I to be married
with my mother's ring?"

Silas gave an almost imperceptible start, though the question fell in
with the under-current of thought in his own mind, and then said, in a
subdued tone, "Why, Eppie, have you been a-thinking on it?"

"Only this last week, father," said Eppie, ingenuously, "since Aaron
talked to me about it."

"And what did he say?" said Silas, still in the same subdued way, as
if he were anxious lest he should fall into the slightest tone that was
not for Eppie's good.

"He said he