The house missed his loud cheerful voice, and bursting presence.

There seemed much less to be done, now that his numerous wants no longer called for ministration and attendance.

Maggie did her task of work on her own gray rock; but as it was sooner finished, now that he was not there to interrupt and call her off, she used to stray up the Fell Lane at the back of the house; a little steep stony lane, more like stairs cut in the rock than what we, in the level land, call a lane: it reached on to the wide and open moor, and near its termination there was a knotted thorn-tree; the only tree for apparent miles.

Here the sheep crouched under the storms, or stood and shaded themselves in the noontide heat.

The ground was brown with their cleft round foot-marks; and tufts of wool were hung on the lower part of the stem, like votive offerings on some shrine.