‘Feyther smokes?’

‘Yes,’ said Sylvia.

‘Reach me t’ baccy-box, my lass.’

And that was all the conversation that passed between her and her nearest neighbour for the first quarter of an hour after she came into company.

But, for all her screen, she felt a pair of eyes were fixed upon her with a glow of admiration deepening their honest brightness.  Somehow, look in what direction she would, she caught the glance of those eyes before she could see anything else.  So she played with her apron-strings, and tried not to feel so conscious.  There were another pair of eyes,—­not such beautiful, sparkling eyes,—­deep-set, earnest, sad, nay, even gloomy, watching her every movement; but of this she was not aware.  Philip had not recovered from the rebuff she had given him by refusing his offered hand, and was standing still, in angry silence, when Mrs. Corney thrust a young woman just arrived upon his attention.

’Come, Measter Hepburn, here’s Nancy Pratt wi’out ev’n a soul to speak t’ her, an’ yo’ mopin’ theere.  She says she knows yo’ by sight fra’ having dealt at Foster’s these six year.  See if yo’ can’t find summut t’ say t’ each other, for I mun go pour out tea.  Dixons, an’ Walkers, an’ Elliotts, an’ Smiths is come,’ said she, marking off the families on her fingers, as she looked round and called over their names; ‘an’ there’s only Will Latham an’ his two sisters, and Roger Harbottle, an’ Taylor t’ come; an’ they’ll turn up afore tea’s ended.’

So she went off to her duty at the one table, which, placed alongside of the dresser, was the only article of furniture left in the middle of the room:  all the seats being arranged as close to the four walls as could be managed.  The candles of those days gave but a faint light compared to the light of the immense fire, which it was a point of hospitality to keep at the highest roaring, blazing pitch; the young women occupied the seats, with the exception of two or three of the elder ones, who, in an eager desire to show their capability, insisted on helping Mrs. Corney in her duties, very much to her annoyance, as there were certain little contrivances for eking out cream, and adjusting the strength of the cups of tea to the worldly position of the intended drinkers, which she did not like every one to see.  The young men,—­whom tea did not embolden, and who had as yet had no chance of stronger liquor,—­clustered in rustic shyness round the door, not speaking even to themselves, except now and then, when one, apparently the wag of the party, made some whispered remark, which set them all off laughing; but in a minute they checked themselves, and passed the back of their hands across their mouths to compose that unlucky feature, and then some would try to fix their eyes on the rafters of the ceiling, in a manner which was decorous if rather abstracted from the business in hand.  Most of these were young farmers, with whom Philip had nothing in common, and from whom, in shy reserve,