 why
his thoughts should be continually solicited by this one point in his lot: his
conscience, never thoroughly easy about Eppie, now gave his childless home the
aspect of a retribution; and as the time passed on, under Nancy's refusal to
adopt her, any retrieval of his error became more and more difficult.
    On this Sunday afternoon it was already four years since there had been any
allusion to the subject between them, and Nancy supposed that it was for ever
buried.
    »I wonder if he'll mind it less or more as he gets older,« she thought; »I'm
afraid more. Aged people feel the miss of children: what would father do without
Priscilla? And if I die, Godfrey will be very lonely - not holding together with
his brothers much. But I won't be over-anxious, and trying to make things out
beforehand: I must do my best for the present.«
    With that last thought Nancy roused herself from her reverie, and turned her
eyes again towards the forsaken page. It had been forsaken longer than she
imagined, for she was presently surprised by the appearance of the servant with
the tea-things. It was, in fact, a little before the usual time for tea; but
Jane had her reasons.
    »Is your master come into the yard, Jane?«
    »No 'm, he isn't,« said Jane, with a slight emphasis, of which, however, her
mistress took no notice.
    »I don't know whether you've seen 'em, 'm,« continued Jane, after a pause,
»but there's folks making haste all one way, afore the front window. I doubt
something's happened. There's niver a man to be seen i' the yard, else I'd send
and see. I've been up into the top attic, but there's no seeing anything for
trees. I hope nobody's hurt, that's all.«
    »O, no, I daresay there's nothing much the matter,« said Nancy. »It's
perhaps Mr. Snell's bull got out again, as he did before.«
    »I wish he mayn't gore anybody, then, that's all,« said Jane not altogether
despising a hypothesis which covered a few imaginary calamities.
    »That girl is always terrifying me,« thought Nancy; »I wish Godfrey would
come in.«
    She went to the front window and looked as far
