Page:Joan, the curate.djvu/80

74 Dark as it was; for the light given by the moon was as yet but faint, and the inn's oil-lamp scarcely threw its light so far as the place where they stood, Tregenna fancied he saw a smile on her face. She answered quite gravely, however—

"I shall not walk, I thank you, sir. I have a load of hay to take home; and yonder, as I think, comes the cart with it. I'll bid you a good-night, sir."

She was looking up the road, and listening, Tregenna heard the creaking of wheels; but he did not take her hint to retreat; he followed her, as she went to meet the cart, which was at that moment descending into the main street by a narrow lane behind the cottages on the right. He was suspicious of that cart with its load of hay.

There was a great difficulty in getting the heavy wheels out of the mire of the lane; and Ann hurried to the assistance of the young boy who was leading the horse. At the same moment, the brigadier, cursing loud and deep, came at a smart pace down the hill from the Parsonage.

"They've tricked us! They're a set of