"Mustn't bide no more," he said. "And I hope you'll soon be down house and as right as rain, Miss."
She stretched out a hand and he took it and stood a moment on his way to the door.
"Mind you come to our wedding," bade Margery. "I will have you there; there wouldn't have been a wedding at all but for you."
"I'll gladly come, be sure."
He went through the door, and Bullstone followed without speaking.
BOOK I
CHAPTER I
JEREMY
The market town of Brent differed but little from like boroughs linked by the artery of the railroad to centres greater than themselves. It grew, reacted to the ordinary stimuli and, upon discovery of Dartmoor as a healthful resort of pilgrimage, enlarged its borders to meet increasing demand.
An environment was created after the usual pattern, and from the village centre of shops and cottages, there extended good roads on which stood single and semi-detached houses with gardens about them. The class of shop improved to serve the class of customer; the atmosphere thickened from its primitive simplicity. Change increasingly dominated Brent, creating an environment wherein to be honest and fearless grew more difficult, while cowardice and hypocrisy were encouraged by the nature of things.