Four days later he was again with his glass at the window; it wanted a few minutes of ten o’clock.  Emily Hood had just reached the garden; he saw her enter and begin to pace about the walks, waiting for Jessie’s arrival.  Dagworthy of a sudden put the glass aside, took his hat, and hastened away from the mill.  He walked along the edge of the cattle-market, till he came into the road by which Jessie must approach the garden; he saw her coming, and went on at a brisk pace towards her.  The girl was not hurrying, though she would be late; these lessons were beginning to tax her rather too seriously; Emily was so exacting.  Already she had made a change in the arrangements, whereby she saved herself the walk to Banbrigg; in the garden, too, it was much easier to find excuses for trifling away time than when she was face to face with Emily at a table.  So she came along the road at a very moderate pace, and, on seeing who it was that neared her, put on her pleasantest smile, doubly glad of the meeting; it was always something to try her devices on Richard Dagworthy, and at present the chat would make a delay for which she could urge reasonable excuse.

‘The very person I wanted to meet!’ Dagworthy exclaimed.  ’You’ve saved me a run all the way up to your house.  What are you doing this way?  Going to school?’

He pointed to the books she carried.

‘Something like it,’ replied Jessie, with a wry movement of her lips.  ‘Why did you want to meet me, though?’

’Because I want you to do something for me—­that is, if you will.  But, really, where were you going?  Perhaps you can’t spare time?’

‘I was going to the garden,’ she said, pointing in that direction.  ’I have lessons there with Emily Hood.  Beastly shame that I should have to do lessons, isn’t it?  I feel too old for that; I’ve got other things to think about.’

She put her head on one side, and rustled the pages of a French grammar, at last throwing a glance at Richard from the corners of her eyes.

‘But do you expect Miss Hood to come soon?’ Dagworthy asked, playing his part very well, in spite of a nervousness which possessed him.

’No doubt she’s in the garden already.  I’ve given her a key, so that if she gets there first—­But what do you want me to do?’

’Why, I was going to ask you to walk to the station and meet the ten thirty-five train from Hebsworth.  Your father will get in by it, I expect, and I want him to come and see me at once at the mill.’

‘All right,’ Jessie exclaimed with eagerness, ’I’ll go.  Just let me run and tell Emily—­’

Dagworthy was consulting his watch.

’You’ve only bare time to get to the station, walking as quickly as you can?  Which is your garden?  Let me go and tell her you are not coming.’

’Will you?  The second door round the corner there, You’ll have to apologize properly—­I hope you know how to.’

This was Jessie’s maidenly playfulness; she held out her hand, with many graces, to take leave.