Her mother placed the little black earthenware teapot, in which the tea had been stewing, on the table, where cups and saucers were already set for four, and a large plate of bread and butter cut.

Then they sate round the table, bowed their heads, and kept silence for a minute or two.
When this grace was ended, and they were about to begin, Alice said, as if without premeditation, but in reality with a keen shrinking of heart out of sympathy with her child-- 'Philip would have been in to his tea by now, I reckon, if he'd been coming.' William looked up suddenly at Hester; her mother carefully turned her head another way.

But she answered quite quietly-- 'He'll be gone to his aunt's at Haytersbank.

I met him at t' top o' t' Brow, with his cousin and Molly Corney.' 'He's a deal there,' said William.
'Yes,' said Hester.

'It's likely; him and his aunt come from Carlisle-way, and must needs cling together in these strange parts.' 'I saw him at the burying of yon Darley,' said William.
'It were a vast o' people went past th' entry end,' said Alice.