The door was opened, and Bessy came in smiling and blushing with proud pleasure.  Her mother followed her on tip-toe, smoothing down her apron, and with her voice subdued to a whisper:—­

‘Ay, my lass, it is fine!  But dunnot mak’ an ado about it, let ’em think it’s just our common way.  If any one says aught about how good t’ vittle is, tak’ it calm, and say we’n better i’ t’ house,—­it’ll mak’ ’em eat wi’ a better appetite, and think the more on us.  Sylvie, I’m much beholden t’ ye for comin’ so early, and helpin’ t’ lasses, but yo’ mun come in t’ house-place now, t’ folks is gatherin’, an’ yo’r cousin’s been asking after yo’ a’ready.’

Molly gave her a nudge, which made Sylvia’s face go all aflame with angry embarrassment.  She was conscious that the watching which Molly had threatened her with began directly; for Molly went up to her husband, and whispered something to him which set him off in a chuckling laugh, and Sylvia was aware that his eyes followed her about with knowing looks all the evening.  She would hardly speak to Philip, and pretended not to see his outstretched hand, but passed on to the chimney-corner, and tried to shelter herself behind the broad back of farmer Corney, who had no notion of relinquishing his customary place for all the young people who ever came to the house, —­or for any old people either, for that matter.  It was his household throne, and there he sat with no more idea of abdicating in favour of any comer than King George at St James’s.  But he was glad to see his friends; and had paid them the unwonted compliment of shaving on a week-day, and putting on his Sunday coat.  The united efforts of wife and children had failed to persuade him to make any farther change in his attire; to all their arguments on this head he had replied,—­

‘Them as doesn’t like t’ see me i’ my work-a-day wescut and breeches may bide away.’

It was the longest sentence he said that day, but he repeated it several times over.  He was glad enough to see all the young people, but they were not ‘of his kidney,’ as he expressed it to himself, and he did not feel any call upon himself to entertain them.  He left that to his bustling wife, all smartness and smiles, and to his daughters and son-in-law.  His efforts at hospitality consisted in sitting still, smoking his pipe; when any one came, he took it out of his mouth for an instant, and nodded his head in a cheerful friendly way, without a word of speech; and then returned to his smoking with the greater relish for the moment’s intermission.  He thought to himself:—­

‘They’re a set o’ young chaps as thinks more on t’ lasses than on baccy;—­they’ll find out their mistake in time; give ’em time, give ‘em time.’

And before eight o’clock, he went as quietly as a man of twelve stone can upstairs to bed, having made a previous arrangement with his wife that she should bring him up about two pounds of spiced beef, and a hot tumbler of stiff grog.  But at the beginning of the evening he formed a good screen for Sylvia, who was rather a favourite with the old man, for twice he spoke to her.