Tess covered the babe's face, and placed the basket on the table.
"I can't leave him in the hut," she explained; "the rats air too thick."
"Yes," was all Longman said, and he fell to thinking deeply.
Tess crept away to the back room.
"I comed to see ye, Mammy Longman, and——"
"Sit down on the bed," interrupted the tired voice. "Myry and Ezy air both gone. Satisfied says as how Myry air a-smilin' and as how ye said she were happy. Satisfied and me feels better, we does."
Tessibel choked back the welling tears.
The gray head resting upon a soiled pillow, the pale face turned toward the wall, which had not turned to her, struck Tess deeper than Satisfied's stolid grief.
"Ye be sure Myry air happy?" came the tired voice again.