"Oh, but," I answered, "I am not a stranger to him. I have met him
twice before. He is a little darling. I assure you he has quite
gained my heart."

No reply for a moment. Then just "Indeed!" and nothing more.

I could not understand it.

But a jar on a shelf, marked TOBACCO, rescued me from the most
pressing portion of the perplexity, namely, what to say next.

"Will you give me a quarter of a pound of tobacco?" I said.

The woman turned, took down the jar, arranged the scales, weighed
out the quantity, wrapped it up, took the money,--and all without
one other word than, "Thank you, sir;" which was all I could return,
with the addition of, "Good morning."

For nothing was left me but to walk away with my parcel in my
pocket.

The little boy did not show himself again. I had hoped to find him
outside.

Pondering, speculating, I now set out for the mill, which, I had
already learned, was on the village side of the river. Coming to a
lane leading down to the river, I followed it, and then walked up a
path outside the row of pollards, through a lovely meadow, where
brown and white cows were eating and shining all over the thick deep
grass. Beyond the meadow, a wood on the side of a rising ground went