‘I see you throw down the light to take the gun,’ Henry said. ‘I says to myself, “If Albert ain’t got a gun drawed!” I see you throw away the lantern myself but I never thought about it again nor see where it go.’

‘You see it like that?’ Jasper said, again and again, ‘you could see?’

‘Yes, I see you bring the old horse in outen the pasture and then I see Albert come up with the gun drawed. Then I see you throw down the light to take a hold on Albert. That’s how I see what come to pass.’

‘Seems like I never planned on it nohow,’ Jasper whispered. ‘No matter how ’twas.’

‘How could you ever explain to the judge how-come it was you set fire to the barn?’ Henry said.

‘I never yet see the day I’d be afeared of white-trash like Albert. I already gave him a gash with my fist, drawen blood, and I had a strangle grip on his neck and cut off his wind a spell. He won’t want e’er other fight with me with fists, but he’ll sneak in behind the law. You’re right. He’ll sneak in behind the law and get me in trouble and when a man’s in jail what show has he got! The law, it’ll eat up all I saved, to pay lawyers nohow. I was a plumb fool to tie up with folks that’s in a family ruction, the old woman cheaten Albert and Albert, him a-tryen to get even. When a man’s in jail what show has he got!’

‘You might maybe ’a’ sued old Mrs Wingate to settle if it hadn’t been for the barn.’

‘I’m plumb ruined. The corn burned. If I stay I’ll get in jail, maybe Frankfort.’

‘You better go,’ Henry said. ‘Away off for a spell. You better go, boy. There’s a difference how things look if you’re in jail. People look at things different and look at what you done in a different way.’

‘Yes, I better go. I’ll go far away.’

‘Law is a good thing but how you look at it makes a difference, and which side you’re on, and how people look at what you done. Law is fine if you get on the good side of it. It’s all owen to which party gets the law on his side. But once you get it on the contrary side, why you might see a sight of worry from it.’

‘Yes, I’ll go. I better go,’ Jasper said.

He would find another place to work, far off toward the north somewhere, or toward the east. Some night he would come back for Ellen. He would take a little of the money, enough to keep him until he found a place, and Ellen would take care of the rest. The wind changed and the sky began to clear, the smoke from the burning settling down into the hollows and scenting the air with a sickening heaviness. The midnight bell at St Lucy rang as they came out of the stubble field and stood by the stile under the ash tree. Then Ellen went to the house to get the money, bringing all of it and pressing it into his hand, for he might need more than he thought, she said. They stood for a little in the stubble at the edge of the field, Henry having drifted away to the house unmissed, and they looked at each other dumbly, gathering together the sum of the disaster.