every hedge and every old tree. I don't care for the new plantations; and I love the hills, and the smell o' the furze, and the cawing of the rooks-all that. But there does not seem to be any one left I knew. All gone-all changed; all the old life ebbed away, and a new life flowed in, of which I know nothing. There they are-old Quack, Quack gone silly; Sam broke his back; the Misses Warne given up their lollipops and gone to Kingdom come; Brock no more at the public-house; and Patty Kelland gone to the bad; and the Goodmans swept away'

Then I said, 'When I spoke of the Goodmans being swept away, I did not mean that all were gone. I was perhaps too inclusive in what I said. There is still Cissy, the lame one.'

Suddenly a flash as of fire came into the stranger's face, and a glitter in his eye. I had been looking him straight in the face as I spoke, for we were standing on the hill, about the spot where had been, but was no longer, Dick's armchair. Blight turned his head sharply aside, and said nothing for a moment. Then, in an altered tone, he said, 'Yes. Cissy Goodman, the lame one. Where is she?'

'Here, in the village, at a cottage near the old slate quarry. She does needlework, and we employ her a good deal.'

'She is still Cissy Goodman ?'

'Yes.'

'I suppose her lameness stood in the way of her getting married?'

'I suppose so. But it really is not very much.'

'Still, she is lame.'

'Oh, yes, she is lame.'

'Did you ever hear her tell how she got lame?'

'No. I know it was through a fall-nothing further. Come along with me. She can tell you better than I all about the old people.'

'No,' said he, shortly. 'I don't think I'll go. She mightn't like to see me.'

'Of course she would. It will be a pleasure to her.'

'You don't know all.'

'I cannot see any reason against your exchanging a word with

her.'

'Is she grown very old ?'

'She is a middle-aged woman. She has a wonderfully clear white and rosy complexion

'All the Goodmans had that.'

'And fair abundant hair.'

'She always had that.'

'So that, even if there be grey in it, it does not show-so light is her hair.'

He pulled off a bit of twig from a branch and bit it.

6

Is she very poor?'

She has to work for her livelihood.

She can keep a house about after work-not

over her head. Of course, she cannot go to the farms-because of her lameness.'

'I remember the cottage,' said Blight. 'I think I'll go and look at the outside of it; but I'll not go in, nor see her. I suppose her lameness does stand in the way of her work.'

'It does, naturally. The farmers like to have a needlewoman at their houses, to put all their things to rights, and do not care to send them to a cottage.'

'And she is sometimes without work?'

'I think so.'

He walked on at my side in silence.

Presently we came within sight of the cottage of stone, whitewashed, and with a thatched roof, of one story high. Blight stcod still.

'I will go no further,' said he. She mightn't like to see me. I suppose you wouldn't mind if I was to ask you to let Cissy have a trifle every week-say five shillings, regular paid. I'll give you

a quarter in advance, or half a year, or a year, if you wish it.'

I looked at him, and I saw that his face was working.

"

'But, Mr. Blight,' said I, this is very good of you. But

steps and in at the door of the Goodmans' cottage. That, you know, was where you have took in a new bit into the churchyard. Well, sir, Cissy Goodman was sitting in the doorway sewing; and she saw what I was after, and she just put out her foot-like this -and stopped the bullock, tapped it on the nose, and it didn't venture to come on, and she neither got off her seat nor paused in her sewing. I thought, like most girls, she'd ha' screamed and run indoors, and I had a mind to frighten her. But noshe wasn't frightened a bit. That put me out, and I was resolved to have my way for once. There's a clam over the river, sir, I suppose, still?'

'Yes, a wooden plank with a handrail.'

'The handrail is new, there was none in my time. Now I knew that Cissy went for milk to Friarslee every day, and over this clam. So next day, after I had been disappointed about frightening her with the bullock, I waited till she was returning with the milk from the farm, and I hid behind a tree till she was on the plank. Well, sir, it was a mighty springy plank; and when I saw her well on to the middle, out I jumped and went on the clam, and began to make it swing. Then, I promise you, she was frightened, she feared she would spill the milk, and then was frighted lest she should go over. She cried out, and entreated, but I took a delight in teasing of her, and I went on making the plank sway, and then, all at once over she went into the river, and the water flowed away milky white. I laughed, but it was no laughing matter. I soon found she had been hurt-something wrong in her ankle. The river was not deep, but full of rock and stone, and that was how she became lame.'

Tony Blight paused a moment, and he drew out his kerchief nd wiped his face.

́Well, there was a to-do, and I felt that ashamed and frightened at it all, that I ran away.' Again he paused; the recollections were evidently distressing him.

'It worreted me terrible. I knew I'd done a bad and cruel thing, and I was ashamed of myself for it, and I thought I could look none in the face after it at home. You see I had no father and mother to care for me, and so I ran away, and I've knocked about, and I got to Australia, and did not do so badly there; so now I'd like to make it up to Cissy if you'd do me the favour to be my paymaster, and never tell her a word of whence it comes.' And where will you go?'

I'll find a place somewhere.'

'I don't know. 'No,' said I. 'I'll not be your paymaster. Once you did a cruel thing and ran away, now you would do a kind thing and run away again. Not a bit. Go in and see Cissy, and talk over old times, and see what can be done delicately to relieve her if she wants relief.'

'I don't like to see her. That is I don't think she'd like to see me; it was I as spoiled her life for her. Why, but for me, with her sweet face, she'd have been married and a mother years agone.'

'I do not believe that she bears you any ill-will.' Tony shook his head.

'I've spoiled her chances of doing well as a needlewoman. I spoiled her games as a child. No, she bears me a grudge, it will be pain to her to see me. I know it.'

'Stay for me, Mr. Blight,' said I. 'You remain here. I will see how the land lies.'

Without awaiting an answer, I went into the cottage.

There I saw the seamstress seated at her window, the light falling on her face and neck, and really, I thought the face was pretty still.

'Cissy,' said I, 'I have been talking to an acquaintance, whether a friend or enemy I do not know. He thinks you owe him a grudge, and he would make it up.'

'Oh!' said she, rising, and a flush coming into her cheeks. It is Farmer Vowel; he and his missis cut off five shillings from my account; they said I had overcharged, but I really, really had not done that. Has he come with the money?'

'It is not Farmer Vowel.'

'It is Gerry. He said my pig had got among his potatoes. I could not help it.'

'No, it is not Gerry. Come and see.'

She went to the door, limping, but only slightly, and after making me lead the way she passed out. She had a thimble on her finger and some thread cast over her left shoulder.

On going outside, she looked up and down the road. There was no one in sight.

I admit I felt annoyed. I thought that Tony Blight had run off.

'How tiresome!' said I. 'He is gone.' 'But who was it?'

'An old enemy; he has been away from this village for thirty years, and wished to talk with you over old times.'

'But I had no enemy then.'

'No-it was mischief. He meant no ill. But he thought you might harbour resentment.'

'But whom do you mean, sir? I harbour resentment against no one—no one in the whole wide world. How could I, when I say every day, "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us"?"

At that moment she was touched on the arm and looked round; the man with grizzled hair was at her side, looking earnestly at her.

'What! Not even against me?'

6

Oh! Tony!-Tony!'