During that week of sunshine, she became more
intimate with Ben Weatherstaff. She surprised
him several times by seeming to start up beside
him as if she sprang out of the earth. The truth
was that she was afraid that he would pick up his
tools and go away if he saw her coming, so she always
walked toward him as silently as possible.
But, in fact, he did not object to her as strongly
as he had at first. Perhaps he was secretly rather
flattered by her evident desire for his elderly company.
Then, also, she was more civil than she had
been. He did not know that when she first saw
him she spoke to him as she would have spoken to
a native, and had not known that a cross, sturdy
old Yorkshire man was not accustomed to salaam
to his masters, and be merely commanded by them
to do things.

"Tha'rt like th' robin," he said to her one morning
when he lifted his head and saw her standing
by him. "I never knows when I shall see thee
or which side tha'll come from."

"He's friends with me now," said Mary.

"That's like him," snapped Ben Weatherstaff.
"Makin' up to th' women folk just for vanity an'
flightiness. There's nothin' he wouldn't do for
th' sake o' showin' off an' flirtin' his tail-feathers.
He's as full o' pride as an egg's full o' meat."

He very seldom talked much and sometimes

[[113]]

p112 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p113w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p114

v?