“More didn’t I,” answered she.  “I’m nothing if not honest, and I tell you frankly that I didn’t know it either till he offered.  He was a lifelong friend, and I asked him about what I ought to be doing, and then it came out he had already thought of me as a wife and was biding his time.  He had nought but praise for you, as all men have; but there it is—­Richard Gurd is very wishful to marry me; and you must understand this clearly, Job.  If it had been any lesser man than him, or any other man in the world, for that matter, I wouldn’t have taken him.  I’m very fond of you, and a finer character I’ve never known; but when Richard offered—­well, you’re among the clever ones and I’m sure you’d be the last to put yourself up against a man of his standing and fame.  And my first husband’s lifelong friend, you must remember.  And though, after all these years, it may seem strange to a great many people, it won’t seem strange to you, I hope.”

“It’s a very ill-convenient time to hear this,” said Mr. Legg mildly.

Then he stopped and regarded her with his little, shrewd eyes.  He seemed less occupied with the tremendous present than the future.  Presently he went on again, while Mrs. Northover stared at him with an expression of genuine sadness.

“All I can say is that I wish Gurd had offered sooner, and not led me into this tremendous misfortune.  Of course, him and me aren’t in the same street and I won’t pretend it, for none would be deceived if I did.  But I say again it’s very unfortunate he hung fire till he heard that I had made my offer.  For if he’d spoke first, I should have held my peace and gone on my appointed way and stopped at ‘The Seven Stars.’  But now, if this happens, all is over and the course of my life is changed.  In fact, it is not too much to say I shall leave Bridport, though how any person can live comfortably away from Bridport, I don’t know.”

Mrs. Northover felt relief that he should thus fasten on such a minor issue, and never liked him better than at that moment.  “Thank God, he’s took it, lying down!” she thought, then spoke.

“Don’t you leave, my dear man.  Bridport won’t be Bridport without you, and you’ve always been a true and valued friend to me, and such a helpful and sensible creature that I shall only know in the next world all I owe you.  And between us, I don’t see no reason at all why you shouldn’t go on as my potman and—­more than that—­why shouldn’t you marry a nice woman yourself and bring her here, if you’ve got a mind to it!”

He expressed no indignation.  Again, it seemed that the future was his sole concern and that he designed to waste no warmth on his disappointment.

“There never was but one woman for me and never will be; and as to stopping here, I might, or I might not, for I’ve always had my feelings under very nice control and shouldn’t break the rule of a lifetime.  But you won’t be at ‘The Seven Stars’ yourself much longer, and I certainly don’t serve under any other but you.  In fact this house and garden would only be a deserted wilderness to my view, if you wasn’t reigning over ’em.”