Harold Bindloss

“ Stephen hesitated, because the path went straight up the fell, but be followed the dog, and soon an excited barking came out of the mist. He blundered forward, and stopped when he saw the white dog fawning upon a shadowy figure in a hollow behind a rock.
"Jessy!" he cried, and the girl got up.
"Oh," she said, "what do you want, Stephen Bell?"
"I came to find you. Mungo brought me."
"One can trust a dog—they are kind and true."
Stephen, remembering an admission of Richardson's, saw he must be cautious, and was glad that they could talk. ”

“ He found a sheep-path, and went up into mist that thickened as he climbed; but Mungo would now be unable to leave him far behind, because when it comes to crag work an agile man is better than a dog. The sheep-path presently turned off along the precipitous scree, where stones the wind shook loose rolled down with a tinkling noise; and Stephen went up a gully, sometimes clutching a wet stone, but, for the most part, trusting his feet. No woman, and very few men, from the cities could have reached Rough-edge in the dark; but Jessy was a daleswoman, and sometimes used the dangerous path. ”

“ Young Stephen's thrown thee over, and you'll not get as good a chance."
"Mr. Bell did not throw me over; he did not ask me to marry him," Jessy rejoined, with sparkling eyes.
"An' he niver will!" said Richardson. "He's gan t' marry Miss Kemp o' Grassholm; it's weel kenned there's money there."
"They say she's rich," Jessy answered thoughtfully. "But riches don't stand for everything. I wouldn't live with Peter Dixon, for all his money." ”

“ Richardson asked, in a sneering voice.
Jessy looked up calmly, though there was some colour in her face, and her mother shrank.
"Mr. Bell is a gentleman, and Dixon is not."
"Living on his father while he waits for a job! Dixon owns a row of houses besides the auction yard, and you're a farmer's daughter, not a lady. Young Stephen kens that verra weel!" ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1945, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 78 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. ”