"It may make a valiant lot of difference, and that nearer home than you think for," answered Palk.
But Maynard shook his head.
"There's nothing in it. Joe won't offer for her—Mrs. Honeysett—if that's what you're thinking; and if he did, 'tis doubtful if she'd take him. I've heard her tell about him to her father."
"And what did she tell?"
"Nothing but good. She knows his worth and all that. But Enoch didn't set very high store on master. I wondered why sometimes."
"Did you? I lay he knew him better than what you do. And he knew this—that a man who worked his only child like Stockman works his would make his wife a proper beast of burden."
"Everybody's selfish. I dare say when the news of the rise reaches us presently, you'll think better of him."
Then Stockman called Lawrence and Susan fell back to the horseman.
"He wants to tell Maynard about some ideas he's got, and it will distract his mind to do so," she explained.
"Be master under the weather about Mr. Withycombe, or is he only pretending?" asked Thomas bluntly.