LITMIR.BIZ

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and a half-sovereign, and a lot o' silver money," answered Perris. "I werrn't that overcome 'at I didn't know what I spent down at t' Bear. I know it were there—it must ha' been there. Why, now then, I slept a lot longer nor what I thowt to do, and when I wakkened I come straight home. And then when I were goin' to bring t' brass out to hand over to ye, my lass, it werrn't there! Didn't I say at t' time 'at I must ha' been robbed? An' I must ha' been!—there's no two ways about it."

      Rhoda made no answer. She was sitting with her hands folded in her lap, and she watched Perris in a dull, apathetic fashion, as if he talked of something in which she had no immediate concern or special interest. And Perris went on, glad to hear himself talk.

      "Ye see, my lass, there's a footpath across yon fields," lie said. "It goes, as ye're aware, reightaways up fro' t' chappil across my land and over t' high ground as far as Mestur Taffendale's place at t' Limepits. Ye know it, my lass."

      Rhoda started.

      "Yes," she said in a low voice "I know it."

      "Well, ye see, if there's tramps about they might take that there footpath," continued Perris. "And if so be as a feller o' that sort chanced to see me lyin' down at t' back o' yon wheatstack, he could ha' picked my pocket while I were asleep."

      Rhoda got up from her seat and began to clear the breakfast things away.

      "Wasn't yon Pippany hoeing turnips in the near field to that wheatstack yesterday afternoon?" she asked suddenly.

      "He wor, he wor, my lass," replied Perris. "Yes, he were there, were Pippany. He were i' t' Four-Acre and I were i' t' Five-Acre. But he see'd nobody crossin' them fields, 'ceptin' t' parson childer, an' their governess, and t' dog. I axed Pippany about that there this mornin'."

      "You'd a deal better have asked him if he'd robbed you," said Rhoda. "If you were so far gone as all that, what had he to do but put his hand in your pocket? He was there, and I'll lay aught he saw you. And I'll lay aught he's got that money."

      Perris, at first hearing this suggestion with an incredulous stare, suddenly leapt to his feet and banged the table.

      "By Gow, I niver thowt o' that, Rhoda!" he exclaimed, "Of course, he were there i' t' next field. I'll break every bone i' his body, t' thievin'—"

      "Stop a bit," said Rhoda. She pushed Perris back as he made for the door, and motioned to him to sit down again. "I'll call him, and we'll see what he has to say to me. You hold your tongue till I give you the word."

      She opened the door, and, going out into the yard, called Pippany from the cow-house. Pippany came slowly across the fold, resentful and grumpy.

      "Now then, what is it?" he demanded, as he came inside. "I no sooiner get agate on one job nor I'm called off to another."

      Rhoda, who had remained by the door, shut it and set her back against it. She folded her arms and fixed Pippany with a stern look.

      "Where's that money you took out of your master's pocket yesterday afternoon when he was asleep?" she demanded. "Hand it out!"

      Pippany's jaw dropped, and his weak knees suddenly assumed a new degree of weakness. He was amazed by the directness of Rhoda's charge, and the first thought which flashed into his brain was that he had been watched.

      "Now, then, none of your lies!" said Rhoda, quick to detect the signs of Pippany's guilt. "Out with it!"

      Pippany recovered his wits. He would brazen matters out.

      "Out wi' what?" he demanded. "I've nowt o' t' maister's—I niver set ees on t' maister fro' yisterda' mornin' till this mornin'."

      "You set eyes on him when he was asleep behind that old wheatstack, and you took his money out of his pocket," asserted Rhoda. "You thought nobody was watching you, but other folks can look through hedges as well as you. Now then, out with it!"

      "I wish I may be struck down dead if ever—" began Pippany.

      Rhoda nodded to Perris. Perris sprang up and seized his man in a firm grip. Rhoda advanced on Pippany as he began to kick and scream.

      "Hold him tight while I see what he's got in his pockets," she said. "We'll soon find out what he has about him."

      "I'll hev' t' law on both on yer!" yelled Pippany, struggling in Perris's firm grasp. "Ye can't stand to 'sault a body i' this way! I'll summons both on yer afore afore t' magistrates I'll—"

      Rhoda went through Pippany's pockets in thorough fashion, laying their contents on the table as she drew them out. She found some copper and silver in his breeches: in his waistcoat pocket she discovered the tobacco-box. A sudden inspiration prompted her to open it. From the tightly compressed tobacco she produced three sovereigns and a half-sovereign, and at the sight of them Perris shook Pippany until his teeth chattered in his jaws.

      "There!" said Rhoda. "You'll go to prison for that, you thief! I knew you'd got it."

      "It's—it's mine, I tell you!" screamed Pippany. "It's mi savin's, and ye can't stand to rob a body like that there! I'll—"

      In the midst of Pippany's vociferation and moans the door opened. Taffendale, spick and span, walked in, and stood astonished at the sight which presented itself.

      "Hullo!" he exclaimed. "I—I couldn't make anybody hear, so I came in. What's the matter?"

      Rhoda, who had turned very pale at the sight of Taffendale, and had as suddenly flushed crimson, gave the visitor a swift look from beneath her eyelids.

      "Pippany Webster's been robbing his master," she said in a low voice. "We've just found the money on him."

      Perris gave Pippany another savage shake.

      "Ho'd yer wisht!" he commanded. "Aye, he's been robbin' me, Mestur Taffendale. Theer's t' money—Rhoda there found it i' his bacca-box. What would you do wi' him, sir?—would you take him down to t' policeman?"

      "For the present I should kick him out," said Taffendale, bestowing a careless look on Pippany. "He can't get far away."

      Perris wasted no time in carrying this counsel into effect. He ran Pippany to the open door and kicked him into the fold with a force which landed his victim on all fours in the manure. That done, he came back, grinning all over his face.

      "Ecod, that'll learn him a lesson!" he said, panting. "Aye, robbed me o' summat like four pound, did t' feller. Sit you down, Mestur Taffendale, sir: we'm proud to see you i' our house, an' I hope—"

      "No, thank you," said Taffendale. "I promised your wife the other day that I'd give you a bit of advice about your farm, so if you like, we'll walk round it, and see how things are—I've an hour or so to spare this morning."

      Perris picked up his old hat and clapped it on. "Why, I'm sure it's very good on your part, sir," he said. "We'm deeply obliged to you i' many ways. Well, we'll step out then, sir."

      Rhoda stood in the window and watched the two men go down the fold together and into the fields. When they were out of sight, she sat down in Perris's chair, and for a long time stared listlessly into the fire. But she was busy enough when Perris came back at noon, rubbing his hands and chuckling.

      "He's a reight un to help a body, is yon Mestur Taffendale," he exclaimed. "He's goin' to help us reight: we'm goin' to hey all sorts o' benefits fro' him."

      Rhoda made no comment. She was not thinking so much of the benefits which Perris spoke of as of the fact that she and Taffendale had fallen in love with each other.

Chapter IX

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      Pippany Webster, summarily discharged by Perris on Taffendale's advice, went away from the Cherry-trees vowing vengeance on Rhoda. He was keen-witted enough to know that it was Rhoda who had detected him in his wickedness; Perris, he felt sure, would never have suspected him from then till Doomsday. He made off to the ramshackle cottage in which he lived at the far end of the village, and there

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