wondered when you set off whether Adam would 'zactly relish your bein'
with Jerrem, I never thought 'twould put un out like this."

"It makes me feel so miserable!" said Eve, trying to keep back her
tears; "for oh, Joan"--and she threw her arms round Joan's neck--"I do
love him very dearly!"

"Iss, my dear, I knaws you do," returned Joan soothingly, "and he loves
you too."

"Then why can't we always feel the same, Joan, and be comfortable and
kind and pleasant to one another?"

"Oh lors! that 'ud be a reg'lar milk-and-watter set-out o' it. No, so
long as you doan't carry on too far on the wan tack I likes a bit of a
breeze now and then: it freshens 'ee up and puts new life into 'ee. But
here, come along down now, and when Adam comes back seem as if nothin'
had happened, and p'r'aps seein' you make so light of it 'ull make un
forget all about it."

So advised, Eve dried her eyes and smoothed down her ruffled
appearance, and in a short time joined the party below, which now
included Uncle Zebedee, Barnabas Tadd and Zeke Teague, who had brought
word that the Hart had only that morning returned to Fowey, entirely
ignorant of the skirmish which had taken place between the Looe boats
and the Lottery, and that, though it was reported that the man shot had
been shot dead, nothing was known for certain, as it seemed that the
men of Looe station were not over-anxious to have the thing talked
about.