Mary had not forgotten that unlucky story about the fox-hunt, and ever since Hammond’s return she had been as it were on her best behaviour, refraining from her races with the terriers, and holding herself aloof from Maulevrier’s masculine pursuits.  She sheltered herself a good deal under the Fraeulein’s substantial wing, and took care never to intrude herself upon the amusements of her brother and his friend.  She was not one of those young women who think a brother’s presence an excuse for a perpetual tete-a-tete with a young man.  Yet when Maulevrier came in quest of her, and entreated her to join them in a ramble, she was not too prudish to refuse the pleasure she so thoroughly enjoyed.  But afternoon tea was her privileged hour—­the time at which she wore her prettiest frock, and forgot to regret her inferiority to Lesbia in all the graces of womanhood.

One afternoon, when they had all three walked to Easedale Tarn, and were coming back by the side of the force, picking their way among the grey stones and the narrow threads of silvery water, it suddenly occurred to Hammond to ask Mary about that queer old man he had seen on the Fell nearly a fortnight before.  He had often thought of making the inquiry when he was away from Mary, but had always forgotten the thing when he was with her.  Indeed, Mary had a wonderful knack of making him forget everything but herself.

’You seem to know every creature in Grasmere, down to the two-year-old babies,’ said Hammond, Mary having just stopped to converse with an infantine group, straggling and struggling over the boulders.  ’Pray, do you happen to know a man called Barlow, a very old man?’

‘Old Sam Barlow,’ exclaimed Mary; ‘why, of course I know him.’

She said it as if he were a near relative, and the question palpably absurd.

‘He is an old man, a hundred, at least, I should think,’ said Hammond.

’Poor old Sam, not much on the wrong side of eighty.  I go to see him every week, and take him his week’s tobacco, poor old dear.  It is his only comfort.’

‘Is it?’ asked Hammond.  ’I should have doubted his having so humanising a taste as tobacco.  He looks too evil a creature ever to have yielded to the softening influence of a pipe.’

’An evil creature!  What, old Sam?  Why he is the most genial old thing, and as cheery—­loves to hear the newspaper read to him—­the murders and railway accidents.  He doesn’t care for politics.  Everybody likes old Sam Barlow.’

’I fancy the Grasmere idea of reverend and amiable age must be strictly local.  I can only say that I never saw a more unholy countenance.’

‘You must have been dreaming when you saw him,’ said Mary.  ’Where did you meet him?’

‘On the Fell, about a quarter of a mile from the shrubbery gate.’

’Did you?  I shouldn’t have thought he could have got so far.  I’ve a good mind to take you to see him, this very afternoon, before we go home.’