Violet Jacob > Irresolute Catherine

PENCOED
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noon,” said he, at the end of a long pause,
during which neither had looked at the
other.
“ 1 heard that. I s’pose he came back.”
To the shepherd’s practical mind there
were discrepancies of time in Susannah’s
account that he could not adjust. When
he had reached Talgwynne he had found
the best part of the fair over; for noon
saw business ebb in the little hillside place.
His tardy appearance had been hailed with
interest, and he was immediately secured to
ride a horse for the inspection of a man
who, he was told, had been all day in the
town. The recollection of these facts sprang
up to assort itself very ill with his com¬
panion’s words. He made up his mind to
get to Talgwynne on the first possible
chance of absenting himself from his work
and to see what he could elicit from his
father. He could not tell how far the old
man might be in Susannah’s confidence.
He did not speak of his intention to her,
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