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of the fields. Stamford was to the east, in front of the house and Easton-on-the-hill was to the south. The many churches of Stamford were visible from the Darby estate.

As the Darby's sat down in the great hall for their evening meal, John's mother asked, 'Whot was it that you and Richard were so intent on discussing during the service todee?'

John considered carefully his response. For much of the time they had been whispering about a pretty girl with long golden hair. They also had been making jokes about one of the alter boys. He certainly did not want to mention this to his mother. Then he remembered their conversation about the glass.

'Richard wants to be a glazier,' John offered.

'A glazier? And 'ow doze 'e plan to accomplish soch a thing withoot muney? Does 'is father 'ave muney to pay for an apprenticeship?' questioned Mrs. Darby.

'If 'e 'ad soch an amount of muney,' stated John's father, 'e'd likely own an 'orse.'

The conversation then shifted from the Easton's and the apprenticeship to a subject that John liked far less.

John's father looked intently at his oldest son and said, 'I 'ave made arrangements for you to start school in Peterborough next month. If you do well there, you will go to Oxford when you are fourteen.'

John knew better than to protest and besides, he had known for years that he would eventually be sent away to school. Still, he did not want to go.

'When do I leave?'

'In a fortnight,' said his father.

'Must I leave so soon?'

'There is an opening at the school in a fortnight. So, yes, you must leave at that time,' his father stated.

John's mother had been thinking about Richard while this conversation was going on.

'Culd we nay pay for an apprenticeship for that yung man?' she asked.

'Why wuld we do that?' asked his father.

'I 'ave always liked 'im and 'e 'as been a gud friend to John for many years,' she offered. 'I 'ave always felt for 'im losing 'is real parents, being an orph....' Then she caught herself and stopped. John didn't know that Richard had lost his parents and that Lind and Gleda were not his real parents. This caught John by surprise.

'Whot, Richard was an orphan?' questioned John.

John's father eyed his mother with a look that communicated that she should not have said that.

'Soory, I shuld nay 'ave said that. Please do nay say anything to Richard. I do nay believe that 'e knows.'

John's father had left the dinner table now and was looking out the window to the south, toward Easton-on-the-hill. To change the subject and to soften the surprise of this news, he stated, 'Yes, I think that paying for Richard's apprenticeship would be a very good thing.' Turning back to the table now with his hands on his hips as a sign of determination, he exclaimed, 'I will 'ave a word with Lind on the morrow.'

The next morning found Lind and Bromley and Richard in the fields before the cock crowed. The days were getting colder and it was important to get the crop in before the cold rains started. They would likely be in the fields until well after the sun had set. Gleda and Geva would join them after the chickens and the hogs had been fed. Because the season seemed short this year, it would take the entire family to get the crops in before the rains started. Lind expected that they had one week, maybe a fortnight to accomplish the task. He had been watching the weather and the sun had not been seen for days. Short, light rains had fallen nearly each day.

Getting the crop in out of the fields was hard work. Richard was finally old enough and large enough that he could wield the sithe for hours on end. He knew though that by the time that the sun set his shoulders would ache and his hands would be numb from the grip of the handles. With each sweeping movement of the sithe, he would feel the heaviness of the tool as it passed through the stalks of grain. He would welcome the opportunity to rest occasionally to sharpen the blade. Richard's father used to say, 'I