When they came to the group of cottages at the Forstal, a girl ran down the garden path and leaned against the fence. She was a pretty brown girl, and as they went by she smiled at Reuben. But he did not seem to see her, he walked steadily on, and she slunk[Pg 29] back to the house, biting her lips. "Dudn't he see me, or wur he jest pretending not to?" she muttered.The year passed, and the new year came, showing the farm still on the upward struggle, with everyone hard at work, and no one, except Reuben, enjoying it particularly. Luck again favoured Odiamthe lambing of that spring was the best for years, and as the days grew longer the furrows bloomed with tender green sproutings, and hopes of another good harvest ran high.
FORE:"As you like Tomonly mind they don't coop you up. To my mind, there is not a man in the parish safe;but things will not always go on so. Now, good father, we must be gone."
ONE:
TWO:Reuben had never been spoken to like this by his daughter. He turned on her angrily, then suddenly changed his mind. For the first time he really saw what a fine girl she wasall that Alice was not."This is most interesting," said Anne icily, raising her lorgnette and looking at Reuben as if he were a bad smell.
THREE:"You have a motive," said Edith, "both in envy and in love. You well know that if this charge could be proved, Stephen Holgrave must die."
FORE:"Yesfetch him here, and I'll talk the matter over wud him."
Caro stood before him, creasing the letter nervously. Her father's wrath broke upon her, for want of his proper victim.Of late he had resumed his visits to Cheat Land, discontinued for a while at Tilly's marriage. The attraction of Alice Jury was as strong, unfathomable, and unaccountable as ever. Since the stormy interview after Richard's desertion they had not discussed his ambitions[Pg 238] for Odiam and Boarzell, but that meeting was none the less stamped on Reuben's memory with a gloomy significance. It was not that Alice's arguments had affected him at allshe had not penetrated to the springs of his enterprise, she had not touched or conjured the hidden part of him in which his ambition's roots were twined round all that was vital and sacred in the man. But somehow she had expressed her own attitude with an almost sinister clearness"It's I who am fighting Boarzell." What should she fight it for?imagine that she fought it, rather, for a woman could not really fight Boarzell. She was fighting it for him. She wanted him."The blessing of the most high God be with you for that, noble sir," said Edith, as she knelt down and fervently thanked Sir Robert; and then, leaning on the arm of her son, she left the hall."While I have a roof the way-faring man shall never sleep"
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