Mehetabel left, little cheered.
As she walked slowly back along the high-road, she was caught up by Betsy Cheel.
"Halloo!" said this woman; "where have you been?"
Mehetabel told her.
"Want to be separated from Jonas, do you? I'm not surprised. I always thought him a bad fellow, but I doubt if he's worse than my man, Jamaica."
After a while she said: "We'll walk together. Then we can chat. It's dull going over the Common alone. I've been selling eggs in Milford. They're won'erful dear now; nine a shillin'; but the hens feel the cold, and don't lay this time of the year much. How's the child? You didn't ort to be carryin' it about in this weather and at this time o' the year."
"I have nowhere that I can leave it, and its only home is against my heart, in my arms."
"You've run away?"
"Yes; I shall not go back to Jonas."
"I don't call that sense," said Bessy. "If you run away, run away with some one who'll take care of you. That's what I did. My first husband—well, I don't know as he was a proper husband. He called me names, and took the stick to me when drunk; so I went off with Jamaica. That I call reasonable. Ain't you got no one to run away with?"