He was thinking that it was extremely likely a man would be on the look-out for him to-night under the big beeches--a man with some business to propose to him.

A few words dropped in his ear at a certain public-house the night before had seemed to him to mean this, and he had accordingly sent Patton out of the way.
But when he got to the top of the hill no one was to be seen or heard, and he sat him down on a fallen log to smoke and wait awhile.
He had no sooner, however, taken his seat than he shifted it uneasily, turning himself round so as to look in the other direction.

For in front of him, as he was first placed, there was a gap in the trees, and over the lower wood, plainly visible and challenging attention, rose the dark mass of Mellor House.

And the sight of Mellor suggested reflections just now that were not particularly agreeable to Jim Hurd.
He had just been poaching Mr.Boyce's rabbits without any sort of scruple.

But the thought of _Miss_ Boyce was not pleasant to him when he was out on these nightly raids.
Why had she meddled?
He bore her a queer sort of grudge for it.