Luke’s jealousy was a little assuaged by Lucy’s open and confiding manner, and becoming more calm, he told her his plans.  ’It will never do, Luke,’ she replied.’  Besides, my father, whom I must send to about it, would not consent.  No, no, we must wait.’

’Wait! for what, I should like to know?  To give master, I suppose, a chance of—­of—­’

‘Of what, Luke?’

‘Why,’ said Luke, worked up into a sort of frenzy by the very thought—­’ why, of asking you to take poor dead-and-gone missus’s place!’

The colour mounted to Lucy Fennel’s face.  She cast a reproachful look on her lover, and seemed ready to cry; but woman’s pride came to her aid, and she left the dairy, as if afraid to hear another of Luke’s terrible words.  Had the young man not gone out immediately, he might have heard ill-suppressed sobs issuing from the room into which the maiden had shut herself.  ‘She is afraid to face me,’ said Luke to himself as he crossed the courtyard.  ’No, no, she can’t deceive me, though she is trying.’

The directions Damerel gave to the workmen that afternoon were so injudicious, that his master happening to overhear him tell a ditcher to fill up a drain which ought to have been opened, gave him a severe reprimand.  Luke received what was said with the worst feelings, continually repeating to himself, ’Ah, he has a spite against me now.  He did not make that girl his housekeeper for nothing. I’m not wanted here, I can see.’

When work was over, it happened that as Luke was returning to his own cottage he met young Larkin, a neighbouring farmer’s son, who asked him to accompany him to Honiton, where he was going to ’see the sodgers,’ a regiment being about to pass through the town on its way to form part of Plymouth garrison.  To beguile the care which tormented him, he gladly consented, and having gone home to put on his Sunday clothes, was soon equipped for the evening’s expedition.  The two friends had to pass Modbury’s parlour window, and it was tea-time.  Luke cast an inquisitive glance towards it, and trembled when he saw the blind being slowly pulled up.  Presently it revealed the figure of Lucy, very nicely dressed with a new and handsome cap.  Something having prevented the blind from being drawn quite to the top, Lucy mounted on the window-seat to adjust it, and when about to descend, Luke plainly saw his master come forward, give her one hand, while with the other he assisted her down by the waist!  Damerel grasped the tree he was resting against for support; a film came over his eyes; but a few rough jokes from Larkin recovered him, and hearing the military band in the distance, he endeavoured to forget his cares, and trudged on towards Honiton.