."

"Allowing that, it is no good reason for your smashing his windows,"
said Lionel. "It is utterly impossible that that can be tolerated."

"Why do he palm his bad things off upon us, then?" retorted the crowd.
"He makes us pay half as much again as we do in the other shops; and
when we gets them home, we can't eat 'em. Sir, you be Mr. Verner now;
you ought to see as we be protected."

"I am Mr. Verner; but I have no power. My power has been taken from me,
as you know. Mrs. Verner is--"

"A murrain light upon her!" scowled a man from the outskirts of the
crowd. "Why do she call _herself_ Mrs. Verner, and stick herself up for
missis at Verner's Pride, if she is to take no notice on us? Why do she
leave us in the hands of Roy, to be--"

Lionel had turned upon the man like lightning.

"Davies, how dare you presume so to speak of Mrs. Verner in my presence?
Mrs. Verner is not the source of your ills; you must look nearer to you,
for that. Mrs. Verner is aged and ailing; she cannot get out of doors to
see into your grievances."

At the moment of Lionel's turning to the man, he, Davies, had commenced
to push his way towards Lionel. This caused the crowd to sway, and
Lionel's hat, which he held carelessly in his hand, having taken it off
to wipe his heated brow, got knocked down. Before he could stoop for its
rescue, it was trampled out of shape; not intentionally--they would have
protected Lionel and his things with their lives--but inadvertently. A
woman picked it up with a comical look of despair. To put on _that_
again was impossible.

"Never mind," said Lionel good-naturedly. "It was my own fault; I should
have held it better."

"Put your handkercher over your head, sir," was the woman's advice.
"It'll keep the sun off."

Lionel smiled, but did not take it. Davies was claiming his attention;
while some of the women seemed inclined to go in for a fight, which
should secure the hat.

"Could Mr. Verner get out o' doors and look into our grievances, the
last years of his life, any more, sir, nor she can?" he was asking, in
continuation of the subject.

"No, sir; he couldn't, and he didn't; but things wasn't then brought to
the pitch as they be now."

"No," acquiesced Lionel, "I was at hand then, to interpose between Roy
and Mr. Verner."

"And don't you think, sir, as you might be able to do the same thing
still?"

"No, Davies. I have been displaced from Verner's Pride, and from all
power connected with