Sitting in the vicarage dining-room, listening to the praises of his
beloved son, Ebben Owens became less depressed, and felt braver to meet
the consequences of his confession.

Although he never discovered that the purchase of the pig was but a
blind of the vicar's to hide his plans for helping him to regain, in
some degree, the respect of his neighbours, Ebben Owens never forgot
the strengthening sympathy held out to him on that much dreaded
morning, and Price the vicar became to him ever after, the exemplar of
all Christian graces.

"There's a man now," he would say, rubbing his knees as he sat under
the big chimney at home; "there's a man now, is fit to help you in this
world, and to guide you to the next; and there's the truth! But he
does not know much about pigs."

The prospect of seeing Will once more in his old home shed a radiance
over everything, and in spite of the humiliation and contrition which
overshadowed him, a new-born calmness and peace gradually filled his
heart.

To Morva too had come a season of content and joy--why, she could not
tell, for she was not free from anxiety concerning Sara's prolonged
absence. Certainly the longing for Gethin's return increased every
day, but in spite of this, life seemed to hold for her a cup brimming
over with happiness. Going home through the gloaming one evening,
singing the refrain of her milking song, she broke off suddenly and
began to run towards the cottage, for lo! against the brown hill across
the valley she saw the blue smoke rise from Sara's thatched chimney,