’Inthestable。IdidnotliketobringthemindoorstillIhadseenyou，mother，andbrokenthebadnewsabittoyou。Theywereverytired，andarerestingoutthereonsomestraw。’
Mrs。Hall’sfortitudevisiblybrokedown。Shehadbeenbroughtupnotwithoutrefinement，andwasevenmoremovedbysuchacollapseofgenteelaimsasthisthanasubstantialdairyman’swidowwouldinordinaryhavebeenmoved。’Well，itmustbeborne，’shesaid，inalowvoice，withherhandstightlyjoined。’Astarvingson，astarvingwife，starvingchildren！Letitbe。Butwhyisthiscometousnow，to-day，to-night？Couldnoothermisfortunehappentohelplesswomenthanthis，whichwillquiteupsetmypoorgirl’schanceofahappylife？Whyhaveyoudoneusthiswrong，Philip？
Whatrespectablemanwillcomehere，andmarryopen-eyedintoafamilyofvagabonds？’
’Nonsense，mother！’saidSallyvehemently，whileherfaceflushed。
’Charleyisn’tthemantodesertme。Butifheshouldbe，andwon’tmarrymebecausePhil’scome，lethimgoandmarryelsewhere。I
won’tbeashamedofmyownfleshandbloodforanymaninEngland——
notI！’AndthenSallyturnedawayandburstintotears。
’Waittillyouaretwentyyearsolderandyouwilltelladifferenttale，’repliedhermother。
Thesonstoodup。’Mother，’hesaidbitterly，’asIhavecome，soI
willgo。AllIaskofyouisthatyouwillallowmeandminetolieinyourstableto-night。Igiveyoumywordthatwe’llbegonebybreakofday，andtroubleyounofurther！’
Mrs。Hall，themother，changedatthat。’Ono，’sheansweredhastily；’nevershallitbesaidthatIsentanyofmyownfamilyfrommydoor。Bring’emin，Philip，ortakemeouttothem。’
’Wewillput’emallintothelargebedroom，’saidSally，brightening，’andmakeupalargefire。Let’sgoandhelpthemin，andcallRebekah。’(Rebekahwasthewomanwhoassistedatthedairyandhousework；shelivedinacottagehardbywithherhusband，whoattendedtothecows。)
Sallywenttofetchalanternfromtheback-kitchen，butherbrothersaid，’Youwon’twantalight。Ilitthelanternthatwashangingthere。’
’Whatmustwecallyourwife？’askedMrs。Hall。
’Helena，’saidPhilip。
Withshawlsovertheirheadstheyproceededtowardsthebackdoor。
’Oneminutebeforeyougo，’interruptedPhilip。’I——Ihaven’tconfessedall。’
’ThenHeavenhelpus！’saidMrs。Hall，pushingtothedoorandclaspingherhandsincalmdespair。
’WepassedthroughEversheadaswecame，’hecontinued，’andIjustlookedinatthe“Sow-and-Acorn“toseeifoldMikestillkeptonthereasusual。ThecarrierhadcomeinfromShertonAbbasatthatmoment，andguessingthatIwasboundforthisplace——forIthinkheknewme——heaskedmetobringonadressmaker’sparcelforSallythatwasmarked“immediate。“Mywifehadwalkedonwiththechildren。’Twasaflimsyparcel，andthepaperwastorn，andI
foundonlookingatitthatitwasathickwarmgown。Ididn’twishyoutoseepoorHelenainashabbystate。Iwasashamedthatyoushould——’twasnotwhatshewasbornto。Iuntiedtheparcelintheroad，tookitontoherwhereshewaswaitingintheLowerBarn，andtoldherIhadmanagedtogetitforher，andthatshewastoasknoquestion。She，poorthing，musthavesupposedIobtaineditontrust，throughhavingreachedaplacewhereIwasknown，forsheputitongladlyenough。Shehasitonnow。Sallyhasothergowns，I
daresay。’
Sallylookedathermother，speechless。
’Youhaveothers，Idaresay！’repeatedPhil，withasickman’simpatience。’Ithoughttomyself，“BetterSallycrythanHelenafreeze。“Well，isthedressofgreatconsequence？’Twasnothingveryornamental，asfarasIcouldsee。’
’No——no；notofconsequence，’returnedSallysadly，addinginagentlevoice，’YouwillnotmindifIlendheranotherinsteadofthatone，willyou？’
Philip’sagitationattheconfessionhadbroughtonanotherattackofthecough，whichseemedtoshakehimtopieces。Hewassoobviouslyunfittositinachairthattheyhelpedhimupstairsatonce；andhavinghastilygivenhimacordialandkindledthebedroomfire，theydescendedtofetchtheirunhappynewrelations。
Itwaswithstrangefeelingsthatthegirlandhermother，latelysocheerful，passedoutofthebackdoorintotheopenairofthebarton，ladenwithhayscentsandtheherbybreathofcows。Afinesleethadbeguntofall，andtheytrottedacrosstheyardquickly。
Thestable-doorwasopen；alightshonefromit——fromthelanternwhichalwayshungthere，andwhichPhiliphadlighted，ashesaid。
Softlynearingthedoor，Mrs。Hallpronouncedthename’Helena！’
Therewasnoanswerforthemoment。Lookinginshewastakenbysurprise。Twopeopleappearedbeforeher。Forone，insteadofthedrabbishwomanshehadexpected，Mrs。Hallsawapale，dark-eyed，ladylikecreature，whosepersonalityruledherattireratherthanwasruledbyit。Shewasinanewandhandsomegown，ofcourse，andanoldbonnet。Shewasstandingup，agitated；herhandwasheldbyhercompanion——noneelsethanSally’saffianced，FarmerCharlesDarton，uponwhosefinefigurethepalestranger’seyeswerefixed，ashiswerefixeduponher。Hisotherhandheldthereinofhishorse，whichwasstandingsaddledasifjustledin。
AtsightofMrs。Halltheybothturned，lookingatherinawayneitherquiteconsciousnorunconscious，andwithoutseemingtorecollectthatwordswerenecessaryasasolutiontothescene。InanothermomentSallyenteredalso，whenMr。Dartondroppedhiscompanion’shand，ledthehorseaside，andcametogreethisbetrothedandMrs。Hall。
’Ah！’hesaid，smiling——withsomethinglikeforcedcomposure——’thisisaroundaboutwayofarriving，youwillsay，mydearMrs。Hall。
Butwelostourway，whichmadeuslate。Isawalighthere，andledinmyhorseatonce——myfriendJohnsandmymanhavegonebacktothelittleinnwiththeirs，nottocrowdyoutoomuch。NosoonerhadIenteredthanIsawthatthisladyhadtakentemporaryshelterhere——andfoundIwasintruding。’
’Sheismydaughter-in-law，’saidMrs。Hallcalmly。’Myson，too，isinthehouse，buthehasgonetobedunwell。’
Sallyhadstoodstaringwonderinglyatthesceneuntilthismoment，hardlyrecognizingDarton’sshakeofthehand。Thespellthatboundherwasbrokenbyherperceivingthetwolittlechildrenseatedonaheapofhay。Shesuddenlywentforward，spoketothem，andtookoneonherarmandtheotherinherhand。
’Andtwochildren？’saidMr。Darton，showingthusthathehadnotbeentherelongenoughasyettounderstandthesituation。
’Mygrandchildren，’saidMrs。Hall，withasmuchaffectedeaseasbefore。
PhilipHall’swife，inspiteofthisinterruptiontoherfirstrencounter，seemedscarcelysomuchaffectedbyitastofeelanyone’spresenceinadditiontoMr。Darton’s。However，arousingherselfbyaquickreflection，shethrewasuddencriticalglanceofhersadeyesuponMrs。Hall；and，apparentlyfindinghersatisfactory，advancedtoherinameekinitiative。ThenSallyandthestrangerspokesomefriendlywordstoeachother，andSallywentonwiththechildrenintothehouse。Mrs。HallandHelenafollowed，andMr。Dartonfollowedthese，lookingatHelena’sdressandoutline，andlisteningtohervoicelikeamaninadream。
BythetimetheothersreachedthehouseSallyhadalreadygoneupstairswiththetiredchildren。SherappedagainstthewallforRebekahtocomeinandhelptoattendtothem，Rebekah’shousebeingalittle’spit-and-dab’cabinleaningagainstthesubstantialstone-
workofMrs。Hall’stallererection。Whenshecameabedwasmadeupforthelittleones，andsomesuppergiventothem。OndescendingthestairsafterseeingthisdoneSallywenttothesitting-room。YoungMrs。Hallentereditjustinadvanceofher，havingintheinterimretiredwithhermother-in-lawtotakeoffherbonnet，andotherwisemakeherselfpresentable。HenceitwasevidentthatnofurthercommunicationcouldhavepassedbetweenherandMr。Dartonsincetheirbriefinterviewinthestable。
Mr。JaphethJohnsnowopportunelyarrived，andbrokeuptherestraintofthecompany，afterafeworthodoxmeteorologicalcommentarieshadpassedbetweenhimandMrs。Hallbywayofintroduction。Theyatoncesatdowntosupper，thepresentofwineandturkeynotbeingproducedforconsumptionto-night，lesttheprematuredisplayofthosegiftsshouldseemtothrowdoubtonMrs。
Hall’scapacitiesasaprovider。
’Drinkhearty，Mr。Johns——drinkhearty，’saidthatmatronmagnanimously。’Suchasitisthere’splentyof。Butperhapscider-wineisnottoyourtaste？——thoughthere’sbodyinit。’
’Quitethecontrairy，ma’am——quitethecontrairy，’saidthedairyman。’ForthoughIinheritthemalt-liquorprinciplefrommyfather，Iamacider-drinkeronmymother’sside。Shecamefromtheseparts，youknow。Andthere’sthistobesaidfor’t——’tisamorepeacefulliquor，anddon’tlieaboutamanlikeyourhotterdrinks。Withcare，onemayliveonitatwelvemonthwithoutknockingdownaneighbour，orgettingablackeyefromanoldacquaintance。’
