"He's in for it now, all right." It was a man who spoke.
"What can Ben do?" It was a woman who asked the question. "He was given the chance to fight it out there and then, but he acted like a fool."
"Ha, ha, Ben was cornered for once to-night. It needed a stranger to bring him to his senses."
"Who is that man, anyway? I liked the way he behaved, and his playing was so nice."
Douglas could not hear what the man said in reply, though he longed to know. It gave him a degree of comfort, however, to feel that all did not blame him for the disturbance at the hall. He knew how necessary it was to win the good will of the people in general if he expected to work among them in the future.
For some time he sat there, and then continued on his way. He had just reached the foot of the hill when he saw some one coming toward him. Soon he was able to recognise the form of Joe Benton, the shoemaker.
"You are out late to-night," Douglas accosted. "You seem to be in a great hurry. Is anything wrong?"
Joe came up close and looked keenly into the young man's face.
"Oh, it's you, is it?" he panted. "Have you seen anything of my lass?"
"Not to my knowledge."