“Here, we’ll all go to bed,” said the farmer.  “What with one person queer, and another person queer, I shall be in for a headache, if I take to thinking.  Gammon’s a man sees in ’s sleep what he misses awake.  Did you ever know,” he addressed anybody, “such a thing as Tony Hackbut coming into a relation’s house, and sitting there, and not a word for any of us?  It’s, I call it, dumbfoundering.  And that’s me:  why didn’t I go up and shake his hand, you ask.  Well, why not?  If he don’t know he’s welcome, without ceremony, he’s no good.  Why, I’ve got matters t’ occupy my mind, too, haven’t I?  Every man has, and some more’n others, let alone crosses.  There’s something wrong with my brother-in-law, Tony, that’s settled.  Odd that we country people, who bide, and take the Lord’s gifts—­” The farmer did not follow out this reflection, but raising his arms, shepherd-wise, he puffed as if blowing the two women before him to their beds, and then gave a shy look at Robert, and nodded good-night to him.  Robert nodded in reply.  He knew the cause of the farmer’s uncommon blitheness.  Algernon Blancove, the young squire, had proposed for Rhoda’s hand.

CHAPTER XLIII

Anthony had robbed the Bank.  The young squire was aware of the fact, and had offered to interpose for him, and to make good the money to the Bank, upon one condition.  So much, Rhoda had gathered from her uncle’s babbling interjections throughout the day.  The farmer knew only of the young squire’s proposal, which had been made direct to him; and he had left it to Robert to state the case to Rhoda, and plead for himself.  She believed fully, when she came downstairs into the room where Robert was awaiting her, that she had but to speak and a mine would be sprung; and shrinking from it, hoping for it, she entered, and tried to fasten her eyes upon Robert distinctly, telling him the tale.  Robert listened with a calculating seriousness of manner that quieted her physical dread of his passion.  She finished; and he said “It will, perhaps, save your uncle:  I’m sure it will please your father.”

She sat down, feeling that a warmth had gone, and that she was very bare.

“Must I consent, then?”

“If you can, I suppose.”

Both being spirits formed for action, a perplexity found them weak as babes.  He, moreover, was stung to see her debating at all upon such a question; and he was in despair before complicated events which gave nothing for his hands and heart to do.  Stiff endurance seemed to him to be his lesson; and he made a show of having learnt it.

“Were you going out, Robert?”

“I usually make the rounds of the house, to be sure all’s safe.”

His walking about the garden at night was not, then, for the purpose of looking at her window.  Rhoda coloured in all her dark crimson with shame for thinking that it had been so.

“I must decide to-morrow morning.”