in him without his father's eye over him. This little fellow
has done half his share and his own to boot long ago. Now they are
content to dwell down here, out of the way of the soldiering, and don't
ask her ladyship to be at any cost for repairing the farm up there, but
will do the best they can for themselves. So, I say, Master Brown, it
will be a real good work of charity, without hurt to my Lady and Sir
George to let them be, poor things, to fight it out as they can."

"Well, well, there's somewhat in what you say Goodman Blane, but I'm
bound to look after my Lady's interests and Sir George's."

"I would come and work like a good one at my Lady's hay and harvest,"
said Stead, "and I shall get stronger and bigger every year."

"But the beast," said the steward, "my Lady's interests must come first,
you see."

"O don't let him take Croppie," cried Patience. "O sir, not the cows, or
baby will die, and we can't make the butter."

"You see, Master Brown," explained Blane, "it is butter as is their
chief stand-by. Poor Dame Kenton, as was took last spring, was the best
dairywoman in the parish, and this little maid takes after her. Their
kine are their main prop, but there's the mare, there's not much good
that she can do them."

"Let us look!" said the steward. "A sorry jade enow! But I don't
know but she will serve our turn better than the cow. There was a
requisition, as they have the impudence to call it, from the Parliament
lot that took off all our horses, except old grey Dobbin and the colt,
and this beast may come in handy to draw the wood. So I'll take her, and
you may think yourself well off, and thank my Lady I'm so easy with you.
'Be not hard on the orphans,' she said. 'Heaven forbid, my Lady,' says
I, 'but I must look after your interests.'"

The children hung round old Whitefoot, making much of her for the last
time, and Patience and Rusha both cried sadly when she was led away;
and it was hard to believe Master Blane, who told them it was best for
Whitefoot as well as for themselves, since they would find it a hard
matter to get food even for the more necessary animals in the winter,
and the poor beast would soon be skin and bone; while for themselves
the donkey could carry all they wanted to market; and it might be more
important than they understood to be thus regularly accepted as tenants
by the manor, so that no one could turn them out.

And Stead, remembering the cavern, knew that he ought to