"I may have been carried away and forced it on to her too violent, or I
may have put it wrong," he said. "'Tis an interesting subject; but we'd
better let it rest."

So nothing more was heard of that affair at the time; though Bob stopped
on, and Mary never once alluded to the thing afterwards. In fact, it was
sinking to a nine days' wonder with us, when blessed if she didn't fly
over once more--this time in the middle of a January afternoon.

"He's done it again!" she shouted out to me, where I stood shifting muck
in the yard. "He's offered himself again, Rupert! What's the world coming
to?"

This time she had put on her bonnet and cloak and, Dart being in spate,
she'd got on her pony and ridden round by the bridge.

She was excited, and her lip bivered like a baby's. To get sense out of
her was beyond us, and after she'd talked very wildly for two hours and
gone home again, my wife and me compared notes about her state; and my
wife said that Mary wasn't displeased at heart, but rather proud about it
than not; while I felt the contrary, and believed the man was getting on
her nerves.

"'Tis very bad for her having this sort of thing going on, if 'tis to
become chronic," I said. "And if Bob was a self-respecting man, as he
claims to be, he wouldn't do it. I'm a good bit surprised at him."

"She'd send him going if she didn't like it," declared Susan, and I
reminded her that my sister had actually talked of doing so. But it died
down again, and Bob held on, and I had speech with Noah Sweet and his