Cora knew two or three things now and she fitted 'em together. She knew
the holiday people was apt to picnic round about on famous spots beside
the river, and she knew sometimes they would leave odds and ends behind
'em worth the picking up.
She also knew that Nicholas Caunter would smoke his pipe by the river of
an evening, when he could escape from his sweetheart, and she knew that
poor Mary Jane was worrying a bit about a token of affection from
Nicholas, which he weren't in any great hurry to produce. For, since the
crash, the cowman soon felt less and less disposed to carry on his
pretence, or do aught to encourage the false hopes of Mary Jane.
So, fortified by all these facts, Cora watched out for Nicholas one
evening, saw him coming, and dropped her amber heart in the way where it
would lie under his nose as he came along.
Her only fear was that he'd miss it, and she hid, so close as a hare in
its form, to watch how it might go. But since Nicky's eyes were on the
ground and the sunset light glittered very brave upon the toy, miss it he
did not.
She saw him pick it up with a good bit of interest and then his eyes
roamed about; but there was nought in sight of him but the river and some
fragments of paper and a burned-out fire, where holiday folk had took
their tea. So away he went with the amber heart in his trouser pocket, and
after he was gone Cora came forth well pleased with the adventure; because
she knew all was tolerable safe now, and reckoned the next stage would
happen next day as she had foretold to herself.
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