'
Aaron turned back up the village, while Silas and Eppie went on
up the lonely sheltered lane.
'Oh, daddy!' she began, when they were in privacy, clasping and
squeezing Silas's arm, and skipping round to give him an energetic
kiss. 'My little old daddy! I'm so glad. I don't think I shall want
anything else when we've got a little garden; and I knew Aaron would
dig it for us,' she went on with roguish triumph- 'I knew that very
well.'
'You're a deep little puss, you are,' said Silas, with the mild
passive happiness of love-crowned age in his face; 'but you'll make
yourself fine and beholden to Aaron.'
'Oh, no, I shan't,' said Eppie, laughing and frisking; 'he likes
it.'
'Come, come, let me carry your prayer-book, else you'll be dropping
it, jumping i' that way.'
Eppie was now aware that her behaviour was under observation, but
it was only the observation of a friendly donkey, browsing with a
log fastened to his foot- a meek donkey, not scornfully critical of
human trivialities, but thankful to share in them, if possible, by
getting his nose scratched; and Eppie did not fail to gratify him with
her usual notice, though it was attended with the inconvenience of his
following them, painfully, up to the very door of their home.
But the sound of a sharp bark inside, as Eppie put the key in the
door, modified the donkey's views, and he limped away again without
bidding.
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