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“No； I’ve put it away in the right…hand parlour； but let it be till I
can fetch it and show it you。 I’d be glad now if you’d go into the
garden and tell Hetty to send Totty in。 The child ’ull run in if she’s
told； an’ I know Hetty’s lettin’ her eat too many currants。 I’ll be
much obliged to you； Mr。 Bede； if you’ll go and send her in； an’
there’s the York and Lankester roses beautiful in the garden
now—you’ll like to see ’em。 But you’d like a drink o’ whey first；
p’r’aps； I know you’re fond o’ whey； as most folks is when they
hanna got to crush it out。”
“Thank you； Mrs。 Poyser；” said Adam； “a drink o’ whey’s allays
a treat to me。 I’d rather have it than beer any day。”
“Aye； aye；” said Mrs。 Poyser； reaching a small white basin that
stood on the shelf； and dipping it into the whey…tub； “the smell o’
bread’s sweet t’ everybody but the baker。 The Miss Irwines allays
say； ‘Oh； Mrs。 Poyser； I envy you your dairy； and I envy you your
chickens； and what a beautiful thing a farm…house is； to be sure！’
An’ I say； ‘Yes； a farm…house is a fine thing for them as look on； an’
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don’t know the liftin’； an’ the stannin’； an’ the worritin’ o’ th’ inside
as belongs to ’t。’”
“Why； Mrs。 Poyser； you wouldn’t like to live anywhere else but
in a farm…house； so well as you manage it；” said Adam； taking the
basin； “and there can be nothing to look at pleasanter nor a fine
milch cow； standing up to ’ts knees in pasture； and the new milk
frothing in the pail； and the fresh butter ready for market； and the
calves； and the poultry。 Here’s to your health； and may you allays
have strength to look after your own dairy； and set a pattern t’ all
the farmers’ wives in the country。”
Mrs。 Poyser was not to be caught in the weakness of smiling at
a compliment； but a quiet complacency over…spread her face like a
stealing sunbeam； and gave a milder glance than usual to her blue…
grey eyes； as she looked at Adam drinking the whey。 Ah！ I think I
taste that whey now—with a flavour so delicate that one can
hardly distinguish it from an odour； and with that soft gliding
warmth that fills one’s imagination with a still； happy dreaminess。
And the light music of the dropping whey is in my ears； mingling
with the twittering of a bird outside the wire network window—
the window overlooking the garden； and shaded by tall gueldre
roses。
“Have a little more； Mr。 Bede？” said Mrs。 Poyser； as Adam set
down the basin。
“No； thank you； I’ll go into the garden now； and send in the
little lass。”
“Aye； do； and tell her to come to her mother in the dairy。”
Adam walked round by the rick…yard； at present empty of ricks；
to the little wooden gate leading into the garden—once the well…
tended kitchen…garden of a manor…house； now； but for the
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handsome brick wall with stone coping that ran along one side of
it； a true farmhouse garden； with hardy perennial flowers；
unpruned fruit…trees； and kitchen vegetables growing together in
careless； half…neglected abundance。 In that leafy； flowery； bushy
time； to look for any one in this garden was like playing at “hide…
and…seek。” There were the tall hollyhocks beginning to flower and
dazzle the eye with their pink； white； and yellow； there were the
syringas and gueldre roses； all large and disorderly for want of
trimming； there were leafy walls of scarlet beans and late peas；
there was a row of bushy filberts in one direction； and in another a
huge apple…tree making a barren circle under its low…spreading
boughs。 But what signified a barren patch or two？ The garden was
so large。 There was always a superfluity of broad beans—it took
nine or ten of Adam’s strides to get to the end of the uncut grass
walk that ran by the side of them； and as for other vegetables；
there was so much more room than was necessary for them that in
the rotation of crops a large flourishing bed of groundsel was of
yearly occurrence on one spot or other。 The very rose…trees at
which Adam stopped to pluck one looked as if they grew wild； they
were all huddled together in bushy masses； now flaunting with
wide…open petals； almost all of them of the streaked pink…and…
white kind； which doubtless dated from the union of the houses of
York and Lancaster。 Adam was wise enough to choose a compact
Provence rose that peeped out half…smothered by its flaunting
scentless neighbours； and held it in his hand—he thought he
should be more at ease holding something in his hand—as he
walked on to the far end of the garden； where he remembered
there was the largest row of currant…trees； not far off from the
great yew…tree arbour。
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But he had not gone many steps beyond the roses； when he
heard the shaking of a bough； and a boy’s voice saying； “Now；
then； Totty； hold out your pinny—there’s a duck。”
The voice came from the boughs of a tall cherry…tree； where
Adam had no difficulty in discerning a small blue…pinafored figure
perched in a commodious position where the fruit was thickest。
Doubtless Totty was below； behind the screen of peas。 Yes—with
her bonnet hanging down her back； and her fat face； dreadfully
smeared with red juice； turned up towards the cherry…tree； while
she held her little round hole of a mouth and her red…stained
pinafore to receive the promised downfall。 I am sorry to say； more
than half the cherries that fell were hard and yellow instead of
juicy and red； but Totty spent no time in useless regrets； and she
was already sucking the third juiciest when Adam said； “There
now； Totty； you’ve got your cherries。 Run into the house with ’em
to Mother—she wants you—she’s in the dairy。 Run in this
minute—there’s a good little girl。”
He lifted her up in his strong arms and kissed her as he spoke； a
ceremony which Totty regarded as a tiresome interruption to
cherry…eating； and when he set her down she trotted off quite
silently towards the house； sucking her cherries as she went along。
“Tommy； my lad； take care you’re not shot for a little thieving
bird；” said Adam； as he walked on towards the currant…trees。
He could see there was a large basket at the end of the row：
Hetty would not be far off； and Adam already felt as if she were
looking at him。 Yet when he turned the corner she was standing
with her back towards him； and stooping to gather the low…
hanging fruit。 Strange that she had not heard him coming！
Perhaps it was because she was making the leaves rustle。 She
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started when she became conscious that some one was near—
started so violently that she dropped the basin with the currants in
it； and then； when she saw it was Adam； she turned from pale to
deep red。 That blush made his heart beat with a new happiness。
Hetty had never blushed at seeing him before。
“I frightened you；” he said； with a delicious sense that it didn’t
signify what he said； since Hetty seemed to feel as much as he did；
“let me pick the currants up。”
That w