’There is something behind all this that I do not understand.  Can thee tell me what it is?’

‘I must, sir, if yo’re to help me wi’ your counsel; and I came up here to ask for it.’

Another long pause, during which Jeremiah made a feint of playing with the child, who danced and shouted with tantalized impatience at not being able to obtain possession of the seal, and at length stretched out her soft round little arms to go to the owner of the coveted possession.  Surprise at this action roused Sylvia, and she made some comment upon it.

‘I niver knew her t’ go to any one afore.  I hope she’ll not be troublesome to yo’, sir?’

The old man, who had often longed for a child of his own in days gone by, was highly pleased by this mark of baby’s confidence, and almost forgot, in trying to strengthen her regard by all the winning wiles in his power, how her poor mother was still lingering over some painful story which she could not bring herself to tell.

‘I’m afeared of speaking wrong again’ any one, sir.  And mother were so fond o’ Philip; but he kept something from me as would ha’ made me a different woman, and some one else, happen, a different man.  I were troth-plighted wi’ Kinraid the specksioneer, him as was cousin to th’ Corneys o’ Moss Brow, and comed back lieutenant i’ t’ navy last Tuesday three weeks, after ivery one had thought him dead and gone these three years.’

She paused.

‘Well?’ said Jeremiah, with interest; although his attention appeared to be divided between the mother’s story and the eager playfulness of the baby on his knee.

‘Philip knew he were alive; he’d seen him taken by t’ press-gang, and Charley had sent a message to me by Philip.’

Her white face was reddening, her eyes flashing at this point of her story.

’And he niver told me a word on it, not when he saw me like to break my heart in thinking as Kinraid were dead; he kept it a’ to hissel’; and watched me cry, and niver said a word to comfort me wi’ t’ truth.  It would ha’ been a great comfort, sir, only t’ have had his message if I’d niver ha’ been to see him again.  But Philip niver let on to any one, as I iver heared on, that he’d seen Charley that morning as t’ press-gang took him.  Yo’ know about feyther’s death, and how friendless mother and me was left? and so I married him; for he were a good friend to us then, and I were dazed like wi’ sorrow, and could see naught else to do for mother.  He were allays very tender and good to her, for sure.’

Again a long pause of silent recollection, broken by one or two deep sighs.

‘If I go on, sir, now, I mun ask yo’ to promise as yo’ll niver tell.  I do so need some one to tell me what I ought to do, and I were led here, like, else I would ha’ died wi’ it all within my teeth.  Yo’ll promise, sir?’

Jeremiah Foster looked in her face, and seeing the wistful, eager look, he was touched almost against his judgment into giving the promise required; she went on.