to know the place already."

"As I tell you, I like it. I hardly ever felt so content before. We
will have a happy time, Phineas."

"Oh, yes!" How--even if I had felt differently--could I say anything
but "yes" to him then?

I lay until it grew quite dark, and I could only see a dim shape
sitting at the window, instead of John's known face; then I bade him
good-night, and retired. Directly afterwards, I heard him, as I knew
he would, dash out of the house, and away up the Flat. In the deep
quiet of this lonely spot I could distinguish, for several minutes, the
diminishing sound of his footsteps along the loose, stony road; and the
notes, clear and shrill, of his whistling. I think it was "Sally in
our Alley," or some such pleasant old tune. At last it faded far off,
and I fell into sleep and dreams.

CHAPTER X

"That Mrs. Tod is an extraordinary woman. I repeat it--a most
extraordinary woman."

And leaning his elbows on the table, from which the said extraordinary
woman had just removed breakfast, John looked over to me with his own
merry brown eyes.

"Wherefore, David?"

"She has a house full of children, yet manages to keep it quiet and her
own temper likewise. Astonishing patience! However people attain it
who have to do with brats, _I_ can't imagine."

"John! that's mean hypocrisy. I saw you myself half-an-hour ago
holding the eldest Tod boy on a refractory donkey, and laughing till
you could hardly stand."

"Did I?" said he, half-ashamed. "Well, it was only to keep the little
scamp from making a noise under the windows. And that reminds me of
another remarkable virtue in Mrs. Tod--she can hold her tongue."

"How so?"

"In two whole days she has not communicated to us a single fact
concerning our neighbours on the other half of Rose Cottage."

"Did you want to know?"

John laughingly denied; then allowed that he always had a certain
pleasure in eliciting information on men and things.

"The wife being indicated, I suppose, by that very complimentary word
'thing.' But what possible interest can you have in either the old
gentleman or the old lady?"

"Stop, Phineas: you have a bad habit of jumping at conclusions. And
in our great dearth of occupation here, I think it might be all the
better for you to take a little interest in your neighbours. So I've a
great mind to indulge you with an important idea, suggestion,
discovery. Harkee, friend!"--and he put on an air of sentime