riding, and so her colours were up and her breath rather quick, so that her bosom plimmed and fell—plimmed and fell—every time plain to my eye. Ay, and there were the fellers round her wringing down the cheese and bustling about and saying, 'Ware o' the pommy, ma'am: 'twill spoil yer gown.' 'Never mind me,' says she. Then Gabe brought her some of the new cider, and she must needs go drinking it through a strawmote, and not in a nateral way at all. 'Liddy,' says she, 'bring indoors a few gallons, and I'll make some ciderwine.' Sergeant, I was no more to her than a morsel of scroff in the fuel-house."
"I must go and find her out at once—Oh yes, I see that—I must go. Oak is head man still, isn't he?"
"Yes, 'a b'lieve. And at Lower Farm too. He manages everything."
"'Twill puzzle him to manage her, or any other man of his compass."
"I don't know about that. She can't do without him, and knowing it well he's pretty independent. And she've a few soft corners to her mind, though I've never been able to get into one, the devil's in't."
"Ah, baily, she's a notch above you, and you must own it: a higher class of animal—a finer tissue. However, stick to me, and neither this
