Indeed, I could see nothing but set determination in her countenance,—­a most hard expression of fixed resolve, that seemed to age her by ten years, astonishing me not less than those other phases in her rapidly developing character.

“Now,” says she, quickly, and with not a note of her repining tone, “what was that you spoke of lately,—­you are to be our steward?”

“Yes,” says I, “for Mr. Godwin has declared most firmly that the moment he has authority he will cast Simon out for his disloyalty.”

“I will not leave that ungrateful duty to him,” says she.  “Take me to this wretch at once, and choose the shortest path.”

I led her back across the common, and coming to Simon’s lodge, she herself knocked loudly at the door.

Seeing who it was through his little grating, Simon quickly opens the door, and with fawning humility entreats her to step into his poor room, and there he stands, cringing and mopping his eyes, in dreadful apprehension, as having doubtless gathered from some about the house how matters stood betwixt Moll and Mr. Godwin.

“Where are your keys?” demands Moll, in a very hard, merciless voice.

Perceiving how the land lay, and finding himself thus beset, old Simon falls to his usual artifices, turning this way and that, like a rat in a pit, to find some hole for escape.  First he feigns to misunderstand, then, clapping his hands in his pockets, he knows not where he can have laid them; after that fancies he must have given them to his man Peter, who is gone out of an errand, etc.; until Moll, losing patience, cut him short by declaring the loss of the keys unimportant, as doubtless a locksmith could be found to open his boxes and drawers without ’em.

“My chief requirement is,” adds she, “that you leave this house forthwith, and return no more.”

Upon this, finding further evasion impossible, the old man turns to bay, and asks upon what grounds she would dismiss him without writ or warrant.

“’Tis sufficient,” returns she, “that this house is mine, and that I will not have you a day longer for my tenant or my servant.  If you dispute my claim,—­as I am told you do,—­you may take what lawful means you please to dispossess me of my estate, and at the same time redress what wrong is done you.”

Seeing his secret treachery discovered, Simon falls now to his whining arts, telling once more of his constant toil to enrich her, his thrift and self-denial; nay, he even carries it so far as to show that he did but incite Mr. Godwin to dispute her title to the estate, that thereby her claim should be justified before the law to the obtaining of her succession without further delay, and at the expense of her cousin, which did surpass anything I had ever heard of for artfulness.  But this only incensed Moll the more.

“What!” cries she, “you would make bad blood between two cousins, to the ruin and disgrace of one, merely to save the expense of some beggarly fees!  I’ll hear no more.  Go at once, or I will send for my servants to carry you out by force.”