"Bring what off, Zeb?"

"Wedlock, sir." The Major flinched, then turned to scowl:

"Be curst for a presuming fool, Zebedee!" The Sergeant immediately saluted. "Whom should I marry at my time of life, think you?"

"Lady Elizabeth Carlyon, sir."

The Major's bronzed cheek burned and he rode awhile with wistful gaze on the distance.

"I shall--never marry, Zebedee!" said he at last.

"Why sir, asking your pardon, but that depends, I think."

"Depends!" repeated the Major, staring. "On what?"

"The Lady Elizabeth Carlyon, your honour."

Here ensued another long pause, then:

"How so, Zeb?"

"Sir, when some women makes up their mind to a man it ain't no manner o' good that man a-saying 'No'!"

"Pray what d'you know of women, Sergeant Zebedee?"

"That much, sir!"

"Hum!" said the Major. "Nevertheless I shall never wed, Zebedee!"

Here he sighed again and the Sergeant did likewise.

"Which I do sadly grieve to hear, sir, for your honour's sake, her ladyship's and--my sake!"

"And why yours, Zeb?"

"Sir, if you was to wed my lady and vicey-versey, the which I did hope, why then belike I might do the same with Mrs. Agatha and versey-vicey."

"G.o.d--bless--my soul!" exclaimed the Major.

"She's a pro-digious fine figure of a woman, your honour!"

"She is so, Zeb, she is indeed. But I had no idea----"

"Nor did I, sir, till a few days ago and then it came on me--ah, it come on me like a flash, your honour, quick as a musket-ball!"

"Then, if she's willing, Zeb, marry by all means and before I go I'll----"

"Begging your pardon, sir, can't be done--not to be thought on--if you wed why then I wed, if so be as she'll have me, sir, and vicey-versey, but if you don't, I don't and versey-vicey as in dooty bound, sir."

"But, if you love each other--why not, Zeb?"

"Because sir, you a bachelor, me a bachelor now and for ever, amen!"

"A Gad's name--why?"

"Your honour, 'tis become a matter o' dooty wi' me d'ye see."

"You're a great fool, Sergeant, aye--a fool, Zebedee, but a very faithful fool, Zeb!"

"Aye sir! And yonder's Inchbourne!" said the Sergeant, pointing to a hamlet bowered amid trees in the valley below them.

The thatched cottages of Inchbourne village stood upon three sides of a pleasant green and in this green was a pool shaded by willows and fed by a rippling brook.

"'Tis a mighty pretty place!" said the Major.

"Aye, sir--to look at--from a distance, but there ain't a cottage as aren't damp, nor a roof as don't leak like a sieve. Still 'tis pretty enough I'll not deny, though 'tis an ill-conditioned folk lives there, your honour, hang-dog rascals, poachers and the like----"

"And small wonder if things be so bad, ill-conditions beget roguery, Zeb, I marvel what Jennings can have been doing to let things come to such a pa.s.s!"

"Co-lecting rents mostly, sir!"

"You've no particular regard for Mr. Jennings, Zebedee."

"I never said so, your honour."

"He complained of you once, Zebedee----"

"Sir, the same month as you and me come a-marching into this here estate said Jennings turned old Bet Seamore out of her bit o' cottage whereupon I dooly ventured a objection----"

"Hum!" mused the Major, staring down at the peaceful hamlet. "He will be awaiting us----"

"At the d'Arcy Arms!" nodded the Sergeant.

"Jennings was agent here in my uncle's time and bears an irreproachable character, Zeb----"

"Character!" quoth the Sergeant. "Sir, his character worries him to that degree he's a-talking of it constant. Says he to me, old Betty a-sobbing over her bits o' furniture as was a-lying there in the road, 'no rent no roof!' says he, ''tis my dooty to look arter Squire's interests,' says he, 'and dooty's part o' my character. I was born with a irreproachable character,' says he, 'and such I'll keep same,'

he says. 'Why then,' says I, 'since I can't kick your character, I'll kick you instead,' I says, which I did forthwith, wherefore complaint to you as aforesaid, sir."

"Ha!" said the Major, frowning. "'Twas wrong in you to a.s.sault my agent, Zeb, very wrong, but----I must enquire into the matter of the eviction. You should have told me before." Saying which, he gave his mare the rein and they began to descend the hill.

"They call old Betty a witch, sir," continued the Sergeant, his keen gaze roving expectantly among the scattered cottages, "aye, a witch, sir, and now owing to Mr. Jennings' character d'ye see she do live in the veriest pigsty of a place which is the reason as my Lady Carlyon has took to riding over and a-visiting of her constant----"

"Has she, Zeb, has she?" said the Major, his voice very gentle.

"Aye sir, folks hereabouts know her well--she stays wi' 'em hours sometimes and--Zounds, there she is!"

"Where?" demanded the Major, reining his mare upon its haunches.

"Yonder, sir, see, she's a-going into old Bet's cottage now and----"