sat and sucked his pipe and listened on a winter evening, with the wind
puffing the peat smoke from the fire into the room off and again.

"'Tis like this," she said. "Farmer's hard up, or so he says, and wants to
sell Mrs. Pedlar's cottage over her head. But there's one way out and only
one. Of course, Bewes be a lot too crafty to put it in words; but he's let
it soak into Jane's mind very clever that if Milly Boon was to see her way
to take Richard Bewes, then all would be well; but if she cannot rise to
it, he's cruel afraid he must sell."

"And why for should Milly Boon take Richard Bewes?" asked Jack.

"First, because he loves her with all his heart, I believe, and it would
be a natural thing, them being the finest young man and woman in the
place; and second, because everything points for it," declared Mrs.
Cobley. "I wouldn't go so far as to say Milly wouldn't have come to it
herself given patience in the man, for he's a fine, ornamental chap and
would make a husband for a woman to be proud of. Besides, Milly has got
nought but herself to offer. She's dependent on Jane for the clothes on
her back, so Bewes would be a lot higher than she might ever have hoped to
rise. She ain't the only pebble on the beach even as a good-looker."

"She can't take him if she don't love him, however," said Jack.

But Mrs. Cobley didn't set much store on that.

"Oh, yes, she could," the old woman replied. "Where there's respect, love
often follows. And there's Jane to be remembered. Jane's been a good aunt
to Milly and, in my opinion, the girl ought to see her duty and her
pleasure go together, and wed young Bewes."