"Ain't you well, miss?" said a voice.
With a start she found a burly young farmer beside her. He looked down at her with kindly concern.
"You take my arm," he said. "Which way do you want to go?"
With an effort she told him, and the next moment he was leading her rapidly through the crowd.
They reached the inn, and he put her into the bar parlour and went out, bellowing for Mrs. Perkiss, whom he knew.
When he finally emerged, after finding the miller's wife, a slim, dark man was waiting on the further side of the road. The farmer took no note of him, but the watcher saw the farmer, and with swift, cat-like tread he followed him.
IX
IN FEAR OF THE ENEMY
All the way home the memory of those eyes haunted Ernestine. All the way home her ears were straining to catch the hoot of a motor-horn and the rush of wheels behind them.
But no motor overtook them. Nothing happened to disturb the smiling peace of that summer afternoon.