Hazel's eyes were dark and haunted.

'Summat strong and drodsome, as drives us all,' she said.

She had a vision of all the world racing madly round and round, like
the exhausted and terrified horse Reddin had that morning lunged. But
what power it was that stood in the centre, breaking without an effort
the spirit of the mad, fleeing, tethered creature, she could not tell.

Reddin sat brooding until Hazel, recovering first in her mercurial way,
said:

'Now I've come, I mun bide. D'you think the old fellow'd let me cook
summat for supper? It's been pig-food for us to-day.'

But when they went to investigate, they found Vessons preparing a
tremendous meal, hot and savoury as a victorious and penitent old man
could make it. He showed in his manner that bygones were to be bygones,
and night came down in peace on Undern. But it was a curious, torrid
peace, like the hush before thunder.




Chapter 28


It was the Friday after Hazel's coming, and Reddin was away, much
against his will, at a horse fair. He was quite surprised at the hurt
it gave him to be away from Hazel. So far he had never been, in the