What, did she want of him? What did she expect, ask of him? But whatever it was, how impossible it all was!
To-day he had kissed Kathleen, his wife, as never before had he kissed her and remembering this, a softer, more tender look came into his face.
What was Kathleen thinking now? Had he surprised, even frightened her, was she hurt or angry, or could she understand and forgive that sudden wave of passion that had come to him? Love and passion for her—his own wife! His cheeks flushed a little, it seemed to him that all his little world was in strange and dire confusion.
Mrs. Hanson, standing at her own gate, tall, erect, and brown of face, beady of eyes, bobbed to him an exaggerated respectful curtsey.
"And good morning to ’ee, sir," she said and treated him to another curtsey.
"I hope my maid du be conducting herself in a seemly manner and giving satisfaction to my lady, sir?"
"Yes!" Allan said; he felt confused before those keen bright eyes.
"A strange, wilful maid her be in many ways, sir, yet her heart be so good as gold."
"She is wonderfully pretty, your granddaughter, Mrs. Hanson!"
"Beauty be but a snare and likewise is but skin deep. I set no stores by such, ’tis the heart as tells, sir."
"But her heart is good, I am sure." He was talking for the mere sake of talking, for an idea bad come into his brain, a little dim and vague as yet, but yet an idea that possibly might mean a way to safety for them all.
"Good-hearted her may be, but most terribul obstinate and stubborn, a perilous obstinate maid, terribul contrairy and self willed her du be in many ways——"
"In marrying," said Mrs. Hanson, "I hev chose for she a good honest man as du walk upright in the sight of the Lord, a man as du keep hisself to hisself and du keep holy the Sabbath day, reading in the Bible and not with an eye to every maid, though there be many wishful of attracting his attention. Wonderful partial he be to my Betty tu, wonderful partial and keen and eager for she."
"There bain’t a better in all Sussex and yet that perilous obstinate maid will hev none of he!"
"Dis-like, what hev that to do with it, sir? Why should Betty dis-like Abram Lestwick—a man earning his thirty-five shillings a week and with a cottage to himself and all keen set as he be——?"