Power moved the door in course of time. The old man went in first with the lantern. "Take the saddle and hurry up. I want to get to bed."
Power carried the saddle to the fence. Maud had taken the bridle and had gone in search of the horse which knew her and would stand. In a little while she was leading it back. Power had taken his opportunity.
"Mr. Neville, Maud and I talked things over to-night, and we want to get married. You won't mind, I hope?"
The old man was rooting with his stick in a corner of the stable. "Er?" he said, looking up.
"We're thinking of getting married," Power said again louder.
"Have you still that in your heads? I told ye 'No' before. Here, come here. Look at that fellow! I'll fire him off the lease before he's any older. Look at him! Thrown it all in a corner. No, ye must wait. Ye're both young, and I'm an old man. Goodness! look here! Maud's an annoying girl, but I'd be put out without her. Here's the mare. Come outside with ye. Maud, I hear you're on again about gettin' married. I won't have it. Ye've plenty of time for that sort of thing."
"You're not fair, father. You're not a bit fair. You won't listen to reason. You never discuss anything. I'm not a child still. When will you realize that?"
The old man lifted his shaggy eyebrows over the lantern. He seemed rather surprised. "Listen to reason! And you come to me when everyone is in bed. Ye call that reason! It's just like you. Bah!"
"Maud is right, Mr. Neville. You haven't been fair about this." Power's temper was never hard to discover, and Maud frowned him quiet. The old man looked at the ground, and scratched his head a moment or two and wagged it.