rold.

'Why, I could see it! I hope he rebuked you both.'

'He asked us if we could play at cricket--and he asked the pony's name,'
said Harold, 'if that's what you call rebuking us!'

'And what did he say to that boy?'

'Oh! he told him he heard he was a stranger here, like himself, and asked
how long he'd been here, and where he came from.'

'And what did he say?'

'He said he was from Upperscote Union--come out because he was big enough
to keep himself, and come to look for work,' said Harold. 'He's a right
good chap, I'll tell you, and I'll bring him up to see Alfy one of these
days!'

'Bring up that dirty boy! I should like to see you!' cried Ellen, making
_such_ a face. 'I don't believe a word of his coming out of the Union.
I'm sure he's run away out of gaol, by the look of him!'

'Ellen--Harold--come down to your tea!' called Mrs. King.

So they went down; and presently, while Mrs. King was gone up to give
Alfred his tea, there came Mrs. Shepherd bustling across, with her black
silk apron thrown over her cap with the crimson gauze ribbons. She
wanted a bit of tape, and if there were none in the shop, Harold must
match it in Elbury when he took the letters.

Ellen was rather familiar with Mrs. Shepherd, because she made her gowns,
and they had some talk about the new clergyman. Mrs. Shepherd did not
care for clergymen much; if she had done so, she might not have been so
hard with her labourers. She was always afraid of their asking her to
subscribe to something or other, so she gave it as her opinion, that she
should never think it worth while to listen to such a very young man as
that, and she hoped he would not stay; and then she said, 'So your
brother was taking up with that come-by-chance lad, I saw. Did he make
anything out of him?'

'He fancies him more than I like, or Mother either,' said Ellen. 'He
says he's out of Upperscote Union; but he's a thorough impudent one, and
owns he's no father nor mother, nor nothing belonging to him. I think it
is a deal more likely that he is run away from some reformatory, or
prison.'

'That's just what I said to the farmer!' said Mrs. Shepherd. 'I said he
was out of some place of that sort. I'm sure it's a sin for the
gentlemen to be setting up such places, raising the county rates, and
pampering up a set of young rogues to let loose on us. Ay! ay! I'll
warrant he's a runaway thief! I told the farmer he'd take him to his
sorrow, but you see h