saidBell，shakingherhead。\'ShallIgotakeitoff，andputonmyshawl？\'askedSylvia，alittledolefully。\'Na，na，comealong！a\'mnoanegoin\'fort\'waito\'women\'schopsandchanges。
Comealong;come，Lassie！\'（thislasttohisdog）。SoSylviasetoffwithadancingheartandadancingstep，thathadtoberestrainedtothesobergaitherfatherchose。Theskyabovewasbrightandclearwiththelightofathousandstars，thegrasswascrispingundertheirfeetwiththecominghoarfrost;andastheymountedtothehighergroundtheycouldseethedarkseastretchingawayfarbelowthem。Thenightwasverystill，thoughnowandthencrispsoundsinthedistantairsoundedverynearinthesilence。Sylviacarriedthebasket，andlookedlikelittleRedRidingHood。Herfatherhadnothingtosay，anddidnotcaretomakehimselfagreeable;butSylviaenjoyedherownthoughts，andanyconversationwouldhavebeenadisturbancetoher。Thelongmonotonousrollofthedistantwaves，asthetideborethemin，themultitudinousrushatlast，andthentheretreatingrattleandtrickle，asthebaffledwatersfellbackovertheshinglethatskirtedthesands，anddividedthemfromthecliffs;herfather\'smeasuredtread，andslow，evenmovement;
Lassie\'spattering——alllulledSylviaintoareverie，ofwhichshecouldnothavegivenherselfanydefiniteaccount。ButatlengththeyarrivedatMossBrow，andwithasuddensighshequittedthesubjectsofherdreamymeditations，andfollowedherfatherintothegreathouse—place。Ithadamorecomfortableaspectbynightthanbyday。Thefirewasalwayskeptuptoawastefulsize，andthedancingblaze。andthepartiallightofcandlesleftmuchinshadowthatwasbestignoredinsuchadisorderlyfamily。Buttherewasalwaysawarmwelcometofriends，howeverroughlygiven;andafterthewordsofthiswerespoken，thenextroseupequallynaturallyinthemindofMrsCorney。\'Andwhatwillyetak\'？Eh！butt\'measter\'llbefineandvexedatyourcomin\'whenhe\'saway。He\'sofftoHorncastlet\'sellsomecolts，andhe\'llnotbebacktillto—morrow\'sneet。Buthere\'sCharleyKinraidaswe\'vegettentonurseupabit，and\'t\'lads\'llbebackfra\'Monkshaveninacracko\'notime。\'AllthiswasaddressedtoDaniel，towhomsheknewthatnonebutmasculinecompanywouldbeacceptable。Amongstuneducatedpeople——whoserangeofsubjectsandinterestdonotextendbeyondtheirdailylife——itisnaturalthatwhenthefirstblushandhurryofyouthisover，thereshouldbenogreatpleasureintheconversationoftheothersex。Menhaveplentytosaytomen，whichintheirestimation（gainedfromtraditionandexperience）
womencannotunderstand;andfarmersofamuchlaterdatethantheoneofwhichIamwriting，wouldhavecontemptuouslyconsidereditasalossoftimetotalktowomen;indeed，theywereoftenmorecommunicativetothesheep—dogthataccompaniedthemthroughalltheday\'swork，andfrequentlybecameasortofdumbconfidant。FarmerRobson\'sLassienowlaydownathermaster\'sfeet，placedhernosebetweenherpaws，andwatchedwithattentiveeyesthepreparationsgoingonforrefreshments——preparationswhich，tothedisappointmentofhercanineheart，consistedentirelyoftumblersandsugar。\'Where\'st\'wench？\'saidRobson，afterhehadshakenhandswithKinraid，andspokenafewwordstohimandtoMrsCorney。\'She\'sgetten\'abasketwi\'sausagesin\'em，asmymissushasmade，andshe\'sararehandatsausages;
there\'snoanelikeherina\'t\'threeRidings，I\'llbebound！\'ForDanielcouldpraisehiswife\'spowersinherabsence，thoughhedidnotoftenexpresshimselfinanappreciativemannerwhenshewasbytohear。ButSylvia\'squicksensecaughtupthemannerinwhichMrsCorneywouldapplythewayinwhichhermother\'shousewiferyhadbeenexalted，andsteppingforwardsoutoftheshadow，shesaid，——\'Motherthought，maybe，youhadn\'tkilledapigyet，andsausagesisalwaysabitsavouryforanyonewhoisna\'well，and————\'ShemighthavegoneonbutthatshecaughtKinraid\'seyeslookingatherwithkindlyadmiration。Shestoppedspeaking，andMrsCorneytookuptheword——\'Asforsausages，Iha\'niverhadachancethisyear，elseIstandagainanyonefort\'makingof\'em。Yorkshirehams\'savastthoughton，andI\'llniverletanothercountywomansayasshecanmakebettersausagesnorme。But，asI\'msaying，I\'dniverachance;forourpig，asIweresofondon，andfedmysel\'，andaswouldha\'beenfourteenstonebynowifhewereanounce，andasknewmeaswellasanyChristian，andapig，asImaysay，thatIjustidolized，wentandtookafitaweekafterMichaelmasDay，anddied，asifithadbeentospiteme;andt\'nextisna\'readyforkilling，norwunnotbethissixweek。SoI\'mmuchbeholdentoyourmissus，andso\'sCharley，I\'msure;thoughhe\'sta\'enaturntobetterin\'