He gleaned her opinion casual on the subject of a woman here and there,
and he found Jane thought well enough of Mrs. Bascombe, whose shop was
useful and her prices well within reason. But it was a long time before he
made up his mind, the problem being whether to tell Jane of the thing he
was minded to do before he done it, or take the step first and break it to
her after. In the end he reckoned it safer to do the deed and announce it
as an accomplished fact; because he very well knew that she would take it
a good bit to heart and hate with all her might any other female reigning
at Wych Elm but herself.

And meanwhile, all unknown to farmer, Jane chanced to be having a bit of
very mild amusement with a male on her own account.

Martin Ball was known as 'the busy man of Little Silver,' and none but had
a good word for him. He was a yellow-whiskered, stout, red-faced and
blue-eyed chap with enough energy to drive a steamship. The folk marvelled
how he found time for all he undertook. He was Portreeve of the
district--an ancient title without much to it nowadays--and he was
huckster to a dozen farms for Okehampton Market. He also kept bees and
coneys and ran a market-garden of two acres. He served on the Parish
Council and he was vicar's warden. And numberless other small chores with
money to 'em he also undertook and performed most successful. And then, at
forty-two years of age, though not before, he began to feel a wife might
be worked into his life with advantage, and only regretted the needful
time to find and court the woman.

And even so, but for the temper of his old aunt, Mary Ball, who kept house
for him, he would have been content to carry on single-handed.