top step of his ladder shaking his fist down at
her.

"I never thowt much o' thee!" he harangued.
"I couldna' abide thee th' first time I set eyes on
thee. A scrawny buttermilk-faced young besom,
allus askin' questions an' pokin' tha' nose where it
wasna' wanted. I never knowed how tha' got so
thick wi' me. If it hadna' been for th' robin --
Drat him --"

"Ben Weatherstaff," called out Mary, finding
her breath. She stood below him and called up
to him with a sort of gasp. "Ben Weatherstaff,
it was the robin who showed me the way!"

Then it did seem as if Ben really would scramble
down on her side of the wall, he was so outraged.

"Tha' young bad 'un!" he called down at her.
"Layin' tha' badness on a robin, -- not but what
he's impidint enow for anythin'. Him showin'
thee th'way! Him! Eh! tha' young nowt," -- she
could see his next words burst out because he
was overpowered by curiosity -- "however i' this
world did tha' get in?"

"It was the robin who showed me the way,"
she protested obstinately. "He didn't know he
was doing it but he did. And I can't tell you from
here while you're shaking your fist at me."

He stopped shaking his fist very suddenly at

[[278]]

p277 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p278w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p279

v?