After the first fortnight he slipped away from her again--and now more than ever before.

He went off for long walks with Hamlet, refusing to take her with them; he answered her questions so vaguely that she could see that he paid her no attention at all; he turned upon her and rent her if she complained.
And it was all, she was sure, that horrible dog.

Jeremy was always with Hamlet now.

The free life that the farm gave them, no lessons, no set hours, no care for appearances, left them to choose their own ways, and so developed their individualities.

Helen was now more and more with her elders, was becoming that invaluable thing, "a great help to her mother," and even, to her own inexhaustible pride, paid two calls with Mrs.Cole on the wives of neighbouring farmers.