This drooping flower recovered her head a little, but still the sweetest hour in all the working days of the week was that which brought John Meadows to talk to her of Australia.

CHAPTER VIII.

SUSAN MERTON had two unfavored lovers; it is well to observe how differently these two behaved.  William Fielding stayed at home, threw his whole soul into his farm, and seldom went near the woman he loved but had no right to love.  Meadows dangled about the flame; ashamed and afraid to own his love, he fed it to a prodigious height by encouraging it and not expressing it.  William Fielding was moody and cross and sad enough at times; but at others a little spark ignited inside his heart, and a warm glow diffused itself from that small point over all his being.  I think this spark igniting was an approving conscience commencing its uphill work of making a disappointed lover, but honest man, content.

Meadows, on his part, began to feel content and a certain complacency take the place of his stormy feelings.  Twice a week he passed two hours with Susan.  She always greeted him with a smile, and naturally showed an innocent satisfaction in these visits, managed as they were with so much art and self-restraint.  On Sunday, too, he had always a word or two with her.

Meadows, though an observer of religious forms, had the character of a very worldly man, and Susan thought it highly to his credit that he came six miles to hear Mr. Eden.

“But, Mr. Meadows, your poor horse,” said she, one day.  “I doubt it is no Sabbath to him now.”

“No more it is,” said Meadows, as if a new light came to him from Susan.  The next Sunday he appeared in dusty shoes, instead of top-boots.

Susan looked down at them, and saw, and said nothing; but she smiled.  Her love of goodness and her vanity were both gratified a little.

Meadows did not stop there; wherever Susan went he followed modestly in her steps.  Nor was this mere cunning.  He loved her quite well enough to imitate her, and try and feel with her; and he began to be kinder to the poor, and to feel good all over, and comfortable.  He felt as if he had not an enemy in the world.  One day in Farnborough he saw William Fielding on the other side of the street.  Susan Merton did not love William, therefore Meadows had no cause to hate him.  He remembered William had asked a loan of him and he had declined.  He crossed over to him.

“Good-day, Mr. William.”

“Good-day, Mr. Meadows.”

“You were speaking to me one day about a trifling loan.  I could not manage it just then, but now—­” Here Meadows paused.  He had been on the point of offering the money, but suddenly, by one of those instincts of foresight these able men have, he turned it off thus:  “but I know who will.  You go to Lawyer Crawley; he lends money to people of credit.”

“I know he does; but he won’t lend it me.”