ere's
a empty carriage. Jump in. I can sit along with 'e for a few minutes."

"How ever shall I begin? How shall I break it to them, dearie?"

"Hold up your li'l hand," said Will with a laugh. "Shaw 'em the gawld
theer. That'll speak for 'e. 'S truth!" he continued, with a gesture of
supreme irritation, "but it's a hard thing to be snatched apart like
this--man an' wife. If I was takin' 'e home to some lew cot, all our
very awn, how differ'nt 't would be!"

"You will some day."

"So I will then. I've got 'e for all time, an' Jan Grimbal's missed 'e
for all time. Damned if I ban't a'most sorry for un!"

"So am I,--in a way,--as you are. My heart hurts me to think of him.
He'll never forgive me."

"Me, you mean. Well, 't is man to man, an' I ban't feared of nothing on
two legs. You just tell 'em that 't was to be, that you never gived up
lovin' me, but was forced into lyin' and such-like by the cruel way they
pushed 'e. Shaw 'em the copy of the paper if they doan't b'lieve the
ring. An' when Miller lifts up his voice to cuss me, tell un quiet that
I knawed what must come of it, and be gone straight to Exeter Gaol to
save un all further trouble. He'll see then I'm a thinking, calculating
man, though young in years."

Phoebe was now reduced to sighs and dry sobs. Will sat by her a little
longer, patted her hands and spoke cheerfully. Then the train departed
and he jumped from it as it moved and ran along the platform with a last
earnest injunction.

"See mother first moment you can an' explain how 't is. Mother'll
understand, for faither did similar identical, though he wasn't put in
clink for it."

He waved his hand and Phoebe passed homewards. Then the fire died out of
his eyes and he sighed and turned. But no shadow of weakness manifested
itself in his manner. His jaw hardened, he smote his leg with his stick,
and, ascertaining the time of the next train to Exeter, went back to bid
Mr. Ford farewell before setting about his business.

Will told his uncle nothing concerning the contemplated action; and such
silence was unfortunate, for had he spoken the old man's knowledge must
have modified his fantastic design. Knowing that Will came mysteriously
from regular employment which he declined to discuss, and assuming that
he now designed returning to it, Mr. Ford troubled no more about him. So
his nephew thanked the Registrar right heartily for all the goodness he
had displayed in helping two people through the g