“Hold your tongue, Archie,” said Abel sternly.  “It’s my farm, I reckon, and I manage it.  I’m sorry, Mr. Jonathan,” he added, “that you started the trouble, but we aren’t people to sit down tamely and take a thrashing from you just because you happen to own Jordan’s Journey.  I’ll stand by Archie because he’s right, though if he were not right, I’d still stand by him because he’s my brother.  The best we can do is to keep clear of each other.  We don’t go on your place and you’d just as well take care to keep off ours.”

A frown contracted Gay’s brow, while he glanced anxiously over his shoulder at the crooked path which led in the direction of the mill.

“Do you mean to say that you object to my taking a stroll through your meadows?” he asked.

“Why on earth do you want to stroll over here when you’ve got two thousand acres on every other blessed side of you?”

When the other’s reply came there was a curious hesitation about it.

“Well, a man has his fancies, you know.  I’ve taken a liking to this path through the willows.”

“All the same I warn you that if you keep it up, you’ll very likely run into trouble.  If Archie sets the dogs on you, I’ll be obliged to stand by him.”

Without waiting for a response, he put his hand on the boy’s shoulder, and pushed him over the brook into the path on the opposite side.  To his surprise Blossom, dressed as though for church, appeared there at the instant.

“Why, where in thunder are you going?” he demanded, releasing Archie, who staggered back at the sudden withdrawal of the powerful grasp.  He had always known that his niece was a handsome girl, but the bloom, the softness of her beauty came to him while he stood there, as vividly as if for the first time.

“I—­I—­have you seen grandma’s cat?” she returned after the breathless suspense of a minute.

“No, I don’t think you’ll find her down there.  Archie and Mr. Jonathan have quarreled loud enough to frighten her away.”

“Quarreled again!” she said.  “Oh, why have they quarreled again?”

“He must keep off our place,” replied Archie, angrily.  “I warned him I’ll set the dogs on him the next time I find him on this side the fence!”

“How—­how can you be so uncivilized?” she returned, and there were tears in her eyes.

“Uncivilized or not, he’ll find he can’t split my lip open for nothing,” growled Archie, like a sullen child.

“You’d as well come back with us,” said Abel, “the cat isn’t down there—­I’d take a look in the mill.”

She turned her face away, stooping to pluck the withered frond of a fern that grew in the path.  When she looked up at him again all the bloom and radiance had flown.

“Yes, I’ll come back with you,” she answered, and falling into step between them, walked languidly up the hill to the kitchen garden at the top.  In his own misery Abel was hardly aware of her, and he heard as from a distance, Archie’s muttered threats against Gay, and Blossom’s palpitating responses.  When they reached the house, Sarah’s yellow and white cat squeezed herself through the door and came purring toward them.