Violet Jacob > Irresolute Catherine

164 IRRESOLUTE CATHERINE
at him from the saddle on the Talgwynne
road. It was constantly in his mind, and
he was thinking of it as he came out of
the post-office door when his business with
the cattle was over. He turned down the
street and saw his enemy, who was on his
way from the station, coming to meet him.
Heber looked grim and weary as he
approached. Since Sunday, when he had
parted from Susannah, he had had no chance
of leaving his work either to question his
father at Talgwynne or to make any other
attempt at discovering where Catherine had
hidden herself. He did not know what to
believe; his doubt of his cousin’s truthful¬
ness was strong and his opinion of Mrs.
Job’s wisdom great. Yet, as he looked
back in cold blood at their ride in the
dark and at his own roughness, he could
not'help seeing some likelihood in the girl’s
return to his rival. He was not accustomed
to considering himself from the outside—
few primitive men are ; but he had thought