'Tis quite lately, since his illness, that he came to that little place, in zight of the stone walls that were the pride of his forefathers.' 'From what I hear, he has not the manner of a broken-hearted man ?' 'Not at all.

Since that illness he has been happy, as you see him: no pride, quite calm and mild; at new moon quite childish.

'Tis that makes him able to live there; before he was so ill he couldn't bear a zight of the place, but since then he is happy nowhere else, and never leaves the parish further than to drive once a week to Markton.

His head won't stand society nowadays, and he lives quite lonely as you zee, only zeeing his daughter, or his son whenever he comes home, which is not often.

They say that if his brain hadn't softened a little he would ha' died--'twas that saved his life.' 'What's this I hear about his daughter?
Is she really hired companion to the new owner ?' 'Now that's a curious thing again, these two girls being so fond of one another; one of 'em a dissenter, and all that, and t'other a De Stancy.
O no, not hired exactly, but she mostly lives with Miss Power, and goes about with her, and I dare say Miss Power makes it wo'th her while.
One can't move a step without the other following; though judging by ordinary volks you'd think 'twould be a cat-and-dog friendship rather.' 'But 'tis not ?' ''Tis not; they be more like lovers than maid and maid.