Chapter XVI
HARVEST AT ANDERBY
"Foreman would like to see you, m'm."
Violet entered the dining-room and looked hesitatingly from John to Mary. Foreman's real request was for the master, but since his illness Mary had given her orders that all such messages should be brought to her. Violet's upbringing had been on strictly evangelical lines, in the fear of a God who loveth righteousness and hateth a lie. She found it difficult to accept Mary's creed that small fibs are a very present help in trouble.
She looked so unhappy about it that John noticed her perturbation.
"What does foreman want, d'you know?"
Violet did know. She had been talking to Fred Stephens, leaning across the kitchen window sill, and discussing in hushed tones the probability of a strike on Monday. No one talked about anything else just now in Anderby. But again she perjured her soul.
"I don't know, sir."
John's attention drifted again to his fried bacon, and Mary followed Violet from the room.