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lifted by a wind. He held his hands out as they lifted into the tree over-
head where they bent a bough with their dark murmurous weight.
She saw Frank turn sharply and nod to someone in the loanen. Peering
round the side of the window she saw the fLat-brimed hat of the Reverend
Mr. Sorleyson. "Most inadvisable," she heard him say, "much too drastic,
Frank. Even if you get them back, they won’t settle down for days”. The
reverend gentleman was flapping his hand aimlessly round his head as he
looked over the hedge. "Did you get the queen?" he asked. Frank shrugged
his shoulders and turned away.
A few moments later the minister tapped at the kitchen door and came
in. "Good afternoon," he said, "I see you’re having trouble with your
honey-makers".
"Sit- down, Mr. Sorleyson," said the woman pushing forward a chair.
"It’s Frank that’s having the trouble - I know nothing about them".
"H’m, well," said Mr. Sorleyson, brushing the subject aside, "I came
up to tell you that your mother is poorly. Not tell you," he added drily,
glancing up at Sarah, "you must have noticed that when you visit her. I
wanted to discuss with you what is the best thing to do".
"Best thing to do? She echoed weakly.
Mr. Sorleyson’s irony gave way very quickly. "Yes," he exclaimed
irritably, "the best thing to do with your mother who is alone and ill.
I’ve spoken to you before, about your duties to her. I did it because
it was my duty to her, but I’m not going to reopen the matter again. I
know quite well that, for some reason, you’ve stopped going down to see
her”. He had been speaking rapidly, and he paused for breath. "But if
