"Oh no, miss," he said, "it bain't finished. I'm going to black the eyes a bit—just a touch, you know, with a pencil. And there's a lot more to do to the jowl. I'm going to have a good look at old Jerry—that's the oldest porker at the farm—when he's havin' his supper to-night; you can see his side face beautiful then," and Jesse's eyes twinkled with fun.
"Oh, then you are back at the farm—at Mr. Meare's?" said Miss Lilly. "I am glad of that."
"I'm not to say reg'lar there," said Jesse, "only half on—for odd jobs so to say. I've been a message to the smithy at Bollins just now," and certainly, to judge by the leisurely way in which he had been sauntering along when Ferdy's governess first caught sight of him, his "odd jobs" did not seem to be of a very pressing description.
"That's a pity," said the lady.
"Farmer says as he'll take me on reg'lar after a bit," added Jesse.
"And where are you living, then?" inquired Miss Lilly.
"They let me sleep in the barn," said Jesse. "And Sundays I goes to my folk at Draymoor, though I'd just as lief stop away. Cousin Tom and I don't hit it off, and it's worser when he's sober. Lord, miss, he did hide me when he was away on that navvy job!" and Jesse gave a queer sort of grin.
Miss Lilly shuddered.
"And what do you do in the evenings?" she asked.
Jesse looked uncomfortable.