He strapped on his satchel, picked up his stick, put his hat on straight, and prepared to depart, breathing hard.

“Go,” snorted Will; “go to your auld stones—­they ’m the awnly fit comp’ny for ’e.  Bruise your silly shins against ’em, an’ ax ’em if a moorman’s in the right or wrong to paart wi’ his gate-post to the fust fule as wants it!”

Martin Grimbal strode off without replying, and Will, in a sort of grim good-humour at this victory, returned to milking his cows.  The encounter, for some obscure reason, restored him to amiability.  He reviewed his own dismal part in it with considerable satisfaction, and, after going indoors and eating a remarkably good breakfast, he lighted his pipe and, in the most benignant of moods, went out with a horse and cart to gather withered fern.

CHAPTER IV

MARTIN’S RAID

Mrs. Blanchard now dwelt alone, and all her remaining interests in life were clustered about Will.  She perceived that his enterprise by no means promised to fulfil the hopes of those who loved him, and realised too late that the qualities which enabled her father to wrest a living from the moorland farm were lacking in her son.  He, of course, explained it otherwise, and pointed to the changes of the times and an universal fall in the price of agricultural produce.  His mother cast about in secret how to help him, but no means appeared until, upon an evening some ten days after Blanchard’s quarrel with Grimbal over the gate-post, she suddenly determined to visit Monks Barton and discuss the position with Miller Lyddon.

“I want to have a bit of a tell with ’e,” she said, “’pon a matter so near to your heart as mine.  Awnly you’ve got power an’ I haven’t.”

“I knaw what you’m come about before you speak,” answered the other.”  Sit you down an’ us’ll have a gude airing of ideas.  But I’m sorry we won’t get the value o’ Billy Blee’s thoughts ’pon the point, for he’s away to-night.”

Damaris rather rejoiced than sorrowed in this circumstance, but she was too wise to say so.

“A far-thinkin’ man, no doubt,” she admitted.

“He is; an’ ‘t is straange your comin’ just this night, for Blee’s away on a matter touching Will more or less, an’ doan’t reckon to be home ’fore light.”

“What coorious-fashion job be that then?”

“Caan’t tell ’e the facts.  I’m under a promise not to open my mouth, but theer’s no gert harm.  Martin Grimbal’s foremost in the thing so you may judge it ban’t no wrong act, and he axed Billy to help him at my advice.  You see it’s necessary to force your son’s hand sometimes.  He’m that stubborn when his mind’s fixed.”

“A firm man, an’ loves his mother out the common well.  A gude son, a gude husband, a gude faither, a hard worker.  How many men’s all that to wance, Miller?”

“He is so—­all—­an’ yet—­the man have got his faults, speaking generally.”