It was but half-past five, and Sylvia in the irritation of the moment believed that she wished Kinraid would go.  But she would have been extremely disappointed if he had.  Kinraid himself seemed to have no thought of the kind.  He saw with his quick eyes, not unaccustomed to women, that his coming so unexpectedly had fluttered Sylvia, and anxious to make her quite at her ease with him, and not unwilling to conciliate Kester, he addressed his next speech to him, with the same kind of air of interest in the old man’s pursuit that a young man of a different class sometimes puts on when talking to the chaperone of a pretty girl in a ball-room.

‘That’s a handsome beast yo’ve just been milking, master.’

’Ay; but handsome is as handsome does.  It were only yesterday as she aimed her leg right at t’ pail wi’ t’ afterings in.  She knowed it were afterings as well as any Christian, and t’ more t’ mischief t’ better she likes it; an’ if a hadn’t been too quick for her, it would have a’ gone swash down i’ t’ litter.  This’n ’s a far better cow i’ t’ long run, she’s just a steady goer,’ as the milky down-pour came musical and even from the stall next to Black Nell’s.

Sylvia was knitting away vigorously, thinking all the while that it was a great pity she had not put on a better gown, or even a cap with brighter ribbon, and quite unconscious how very pretty she looked standing against the faint light, her head a little bent down; her hair catching bright golden touches, as it fell from under her little linen cap; her pink bed-gown, confined by her apron-string, giving a sort of easy grace to her figure; her dark full linsey petticoat short above her trim ancles, looking far more suitable to the place where she was standing than her long gown of the night before would have done.  Kinraid was wanting to talk to her, and to make her talk, but was uncertain how to begin.  In the meantime Kester went on with the subject last spoken about.

‘Black Nell’s at her fourth calf now, so she ought to ha’ left off her tricks and turned sober-like.  But bless yo’, there’s some cows as ‘ll be skittish till they’re fat for t’ butcher.  Not but what a like milking her better nor a steady goer; a man has allays summat to be watchin’ for; and a’m kind o’ set up when a’ve mastered her at last.  T’ young missus theere, she’s mighty fond o’ comin’ t’ see Black Nell at her tantrums.  She’d niver come near me if a’ cows were like this’n.’

‘Do you often come and see the cows milked?’ asked Kinraid,

‘Many a time,’ said Sylvia, smiling a little.  ’Why, when we’re throng, I help Kester; but now we’ve only Black Nell and Daisy giving milk.  Kester knows as I can milk Black Nell quite easy,’ she continued, half vexed that Kester had not named this accomplishment.

‘Ay! when she’s in a good frame o’ mind, as she is sometimes.  But t’ difficulty is to milk her at all times.’

‘I wish I’d come a bit sooner.  I should like t’ have seen you milk Black Nell,’ addressing Sylvia.