"We must overhaul that mead," he resumed; "this mustn't continny!"

All having armed themselves with old pointed knives, they went out

together. As the inimical plant could only be present in very

microscopic dimensions to have escaped ordinary observation, to

find it seemed rather a hopeless attempt in the stretch of rich

grass before them. However, they formed themselves into line, all

assisting, owing to the importance of the search; the dairyman at

the upper end with Mr Clare, who had volunteered to help; then

Tess, Marian, Izz Huett, and Retty; then Bill Lewell, Jonathan, and

the married dairywomen--Beck Knibbs, with her wooly black hair and

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rolling eyes; and flaxen Frances, consumptive from the winter damps

of the water-meads--who lived in their respective cottages.

With eyes fixed upon the ground they crept slowly across a strip of

the field, returning a little further down in such a manner that,

when they should have finished, not a single inch of the pasture but

would have fallen under the eye of some one of them. It was a most

tedious business, not more than half a dozen shoots of garlic being

discoverable in the whole field; yet such was the herb's pungency

that probably one bite of it by one cow had been sufficient to season

the whole dairy's produce for the day.

Differing one from another in natures and moods so greatly as they

did, they yet formed, bending, a curiously uniform row--automatic,

noiseless; and an alien observer passing down the neighbouring lane

might well have been excused for massing them as "Hodge". As they

crept along, stooping low to discern the plant, a soft yellow gleam

was reflected from the buttercups into their shaded faces, giving

them an elfish, moonlit aspect, though the sun was pouring upon their

backs in all the strength of noon. Angel Clare, who communistically stuck to his rule of taking part

with the rest in everything, glanced up now and then. It was not,

of course, by accident that he walked next to Tess.

"Well, how are you?" he murmured.

"Very well, thank you, sir," she replied demurely.

As they had been discussing a score of personal matters only

half-an-hour before, the introductory style seemed a little

superfluous. But they got no further in speech just then. They

crept and crept, the hem of her petticoat just touching his gaiter,

and his elbow sometimes brushing hers. At last the dairyman, who

came next, could stand it no longer.

"Upon my soul and body, this here stooping do fairly make my back

open and shut!" he exclaimed, straightening himself slowly with an

excruciated look till quite upright. "And you, maidy Tess, you

wasn't well a day or two ago--this will make your head ache finely!

Don't do any more, if you feel fainty; leave the rest to finish it."




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