ed with curious art, and
some just gathered from the bed or from the tree.

"It's very odd," said Hatton to his companion Morley, "you can't get
coffee anywhere."

Morley who had supposed that coffee was about the commonest article of
consumption in Mowbray, looked a little surprised; but at this moment
Hatton's servant entered with a mysterious yet somewhat triumphant air,
and ushering in a travelling biggin of their own fuming like one of the
springs of Geyser.

"Now try that," said Hatton to Morley, as the servant poured him out a
cup; "you won't find that so bad."

"Does the town continue pretty quiet?" enquired Morley of the servant as
he was leaving the room.

"Quite quiet I believe, Sir; but a great many people in the streets. All
the mills are stopped."

"Well, this is a strange business," said Hatton when they were once more
alone. "You had no idea of it when I met you on Saturday?"

"None; on the contrary, I felt convinced that there were no elements of
general disturbance in this district. I thought from the first that the
movement would be confined to Lancashire and would easily be arrested;
but the feebleness of the government, the want of decision, perhaps the
want of means, have permitted a flame to spread the extinction of which
will not soon be witnessed."

"Do you mean that?"

"Whenever the mining population is disturbed the disorder is obstinate.
On the whole they endure less physical suffering than most of the
working classes, their wages being considerable; and they are so
brutalized that they are more difficult to operate on than our reading
and thinking population of the factories. But when they do stir there
is always violence and a determined course. When I heard of their
insurrection on Saturday I was prepared for great disturbances in
their district, but that they should suddenly resolve to invade another
country as it were, the seat of another class of labour, and where the
hardships however severe are not of their own kind, is to me amazing,
and convinces me that there is some political head behind the scenes,
and that this move, however unintentional on the part of the miners
themselves, is part of some comprehensive scheme which, by widening the
scene of action and combining several counties and classes of labour
in the broil, must inevitably embarrass and perhaps paralyse the
Government."

"There is a good deal in what you say," said Hatton, taking a
strawberry with a rather