and his idols; she picked up Shep's trousers from the rug, where she had
dropped them, and, looking intently at her thimble finger, told him she was
very glad that he had come.

"Did you think I would not come?" said he. "I'm going to take you home with
me, Dorothy,--you and your mother and the boys. It's not fit for you to be
here alone."

"Does thee know of any danger?"

"I know of none, but water's a thing you can't depend on. It's an ugly
rain; older men than your father remember nothing like it."

"I shall be glad to have mother go, and Jimmy; the house is very damp. It's
an awful night for her to be out, though."

"She _must_ go!" said Evesham. "You must all go. I'll be back in half an
hour"--

"_I_ shall not go," Dorothy said; "the boys and I must stay and look after
the stock."

"What's that?" Evesham was listening to a trickling of water outside the
door.

"Oh! it's from the kitchen. The door has blown open, I guess."

Dorothy looked out into the passage; a strong wind was blowing in from the
kitchen, where the water covered the floor and washed against the chimney.