about six in the morning
Grace 's house stood in an orchard ; so he was the unlikeliest man in the village to have seen David . She set against this trivial circumstance the weighty one that he was her sweetheart , and went to him first . `` I hai n't a-sin him , Sue ; thee hadst better ask at the blacksmith 's shop , '' said Joshua Grace . Susan profited by this hint , and learned at the blacksmith 's shop that David had gone by up the road about six in the morning , walking very fast . She brought the news to Eve . `` Toward Royston ? '' `` Yes , miss ; but , la !