We said no more about the necklace for a long time afterwards; neither did my darling wear it, now that she knew its value, but did not know its history.  She came to me the very next day, trying to look cheerful, and begged me if I loved her (never mind how little) to take charge of it again, as I once had done before, and not even to let her know in what place I stored it.  I told her that this last request I could not comply with; for having been round her neck so often, it was now a sacred thing, more than a million pounds could be.  Therefore it should dwell for the present in the neighbourhood of my heart; and so could not be far from her.  At this she smiled her own sweet smile, and touched my forehead with her lips and wished that she could only learn how to deserve such love as mine.

Tom Faggus took his good departure, which was a kind farewell to me, on the very day I am speaking of, the day after his arrival.  Tom was a thoroughly upright man, according to his own standard; and you might rely upon him always, up to a certain point I mean, to be there or thereabouts.  But sometimes things were too many for Tom, especially with ardent spirits, and then he judged, perhaps too much, with only himself for the jury.  At any rate, I would trust him fully, for candour and for honesty, in almost every case in which he himself could have no interest.  And so we got on very well together; and he thought me a fool; and I tried my best not to think anything worse of him.

Scarcely was Tom clean out of sight, and Annie’s tears not dry yet (for she always made a point of crying upon his departure), when in came Master Jeremy Stickles, splashed with mud from head to foot, and not in the very best of humours, though happy to get back again.

“Curse those fellows!” he cried, with a stamp which sent the water hissing from his boot upon the embers; “a pretty plight you may call this, for His Majesty’s Commissioner to return to his headquarters in!  Annie, my dear,” for he was always very affable with Annie, “will you help me off with my overalls, and then turn your pretty hand to the gridiron?  Not a blessed morsel have I touched for more than twenty-four hours.”

“Surely then you must be quite starving, sir,” my sister replied with the greatest zeal; for she did love a man with an appetite; “how glad I am that the fire is clear!” But Lizzie, who happened to be there, said with her peculiar smile,—­

“Master Stickles must be used to it; for he never comes back without telling us that.”

“Hush!” cried Annie, quite shocked with her; “how would you like to be used to it?  Now, Betty, be quick with the things for me.  Pork, or mutton, or deer’s meat, sir?  We have some cured since the autumn.”

“Oh, deer’s meat, by all means,” Jeremy Stickles answered; “I have tasted none since I left you, though dreaming of it often.  Well, this is better than being chased over the moors for one’s life, John.  All the way from Landacre Bridge, I have ridden a race for my precious life, at the peril of my limbs and neck.  Three great Doones galloping after me, and a good job for me that they were so big, or they must have overtaken me.  Just go and see to my horse, John, that’s an excellent lad.  He deserves a good turn this day, from me; and I will render it to him.”