Kit did not know much about young women, but hesitated, because he doubted if she wanted him to post the letter.

“If you like,” he said.  “I expect the causeway at the water-splash will be wet.”

She gave him a curious smile.  “Oh, well; here’s the letter.  Jim Nixon had to help me across the water when I went last night, and I don’t suppose you’re afraid of wetting your feet.  You are used to it at Ashness.”

“Yes,” said Kit.  “My boots are stronger than yours.”

“Canny lad!” she answered, with a mocking laugh.  Kit felt embarrassed, for he thought he saw what she meant.  Janet Bell was something of a coquette.

“I heard people coming down the road not long since,” she resumed.  “Have you had a supper party?  Tell your father I think he’s shabby because he left me out.”

“It wasn’t a supper party and there were no women.  Three or four neighbors came in.”

“To grumble about the weather or argue about the sheep?”

“They did grumble about the weather,” Kit replied.

Janet looked amused.  “You’re very cautious, my lad; but you needn’t take it for granted I’m always on father’s side.  Do you think I don’t know why your neighbors came?”

“You don’t know altogether.”

The moonlight was clear enough to show that Janet colored.  “And you think I stopped you to find out?”

“I don’t,” said Kit, rather awkwardly.  “Still, perhaps it’s better that you shouldn’t know.”

“Oh,” said she, with some emotion, “I can’t tell if you mean to be nice or not.  It’s the lazy, feckless people who dislike father, because they’re jealous; and they try to make things hard for me.  Why should I suffer because he’s cleverer than them?”

“You oughn’t to suffer.  I really don’t think people blame you.”

“They do blame me,” Janet insisted.  “You doubted if you could trust me just now.”

This was true enough to embarrass Kit, but he said, “I didn’t see why I should talk to you about our business; that was all.  In fact, I don’t mean to talk about it to anybody.”

“Now you’re nicer.  I didn’t like to feel you were taking particular care not to let me know.  Well, of course, father’s no friend of yours and perhaps he’ll like you worse by and by.  But, after all, does that matter?”

“Not in a way,” said Kit, pretending to be dull.  “You have nothing to do with the dispute and we don’t want to quarrel with your father, although we mean to carry out our plans.”

Janet looked rather hard at him and there was some color in her face, but she forced a smile.

“Oh, well!  Good-night!  I’ve stopped you, and expect you want to get home.”