lf from her reverie, and
turned her eyes again towards the forsaken page. It had been forsaken
longer than she imagined, for she was presently surprised by the
appearance of the servant with the tea-things. It was, in fact, a
little before the usual time for tea; but Jane had her reasons.

"Is your master come into the yard, Jane?"

"No 'm, he isn't," said Jane, with a slight emphasis, of which,
however, her mistress took no notice.

"I don't know whether you've seen 'em, 'm," continued Jane, after a
pause, "but there's folks making haste all one way, afore the front
window. I doubt something's happened. There's niver a man to be seen
i' the yard, else I'd send and see. I've been up into the top attic,
but there's no seeing anything for trees. I hope nobody's hurt, that's
all."

"Oh, no, I daresay there's nothing much the matter," said Nancy. "It's
perhaps Mr. Snell's bull got out again, as he did before."

"I wish he mayn't gore anybody then, that's all," said Jane, not
altogether despising a hypothesis which covered a few imaginary
calamities.

"That girl is always terrifying me," thought Nancy; "I wish Godfrey
would come in."

She went to the front window and looked as far as she could see along
the road, with an uneasiness which she felt to be childish, for there
were now no such signs of excitement as Jane had spoken of, and Godfrey
would not be likely to return by the village road, but by the fields.
She continued to stand, however, looking at the placid churchyard with
the long shadows of the gravestones across the bright green hillocks,
and at the glowing autumn colours of the Rectory trees beyond. Before
such calm external beauty the presence of a vague fear is more
distinctly felt--like a raven flapping its slow wing across the sunny
air. Nancy wished more and more that Godfrey would come in.

CHAPTER XVIII

Some one opened the door at the other end of the room, and Nancy felt
that it was her husband. She turned from the window with gladness in
her eyes, for the wife's chief dread was stilled.

"Dear, I'm so thankful you're come," she said, going towards him. "I
began to get--"

She paused abruptly, for Godfrey was laying down his hat with trembling
hands, and turned towards her with a pale face and a strange
unanswering glance, as if he saw her indeed, but saw her as part of a
scene invisible to herself. She laid her hand on his arm, not daring
to speak again; but he left the touc