r act of ours; but his
preachings can do me no injury. They do not irritate me in the
least--indeed, I am not sure that they do not amuse me.'

'Ah, mother, that's like you; you philosophise your way through a
difficulty, and I always want to fight my way out. It's so much easier.'

'Yes, dear; but do you get out? Do you know that Ephraim Shine is the
most litigious man in the township? He runs to the law with every little
trouble, whilst inviting his neighbours to carry all theirs to the Lord.
Had you beaten him he would have proceeded against you, and--Oh! my boy,
my boy! are you going to make my troubles greater? And I had such hopes.'

'Hush, mother. 'Pon my soul, I won't! I'm going to hold myself down tight
after this. An', look here, I've got an idea. I'm going to Pete Holden
to-morrow to ask him to put me on at the Stream, same shift as poor Frank
was on, if possible.'

'Put on the brother of the man who--'

'Yes, mother, the brother of the thief. But Holden is a good fellow; he
spoke up for Frank like a brick. Besides, d'you know what the men are
saying? That the gold-stealing is still going on. I'll tell Holden as
much, an' promise to watch, an' watch, like a cat, if he'll only send me
below.'

'Yes, yes; we can persuade him. I wonder we did not think of this
before.'

''Twas young Dick Haddon put me up to it, with some yarn of his about a
detective.'

'Bless the boy! he is unique--the worst and the best I have ever known.
Johnnie, how dare you?'

The last remark was addressed to Gable, who had been eating industriously
for the last quarter of an hour. The old man, finding himself ignored,
had smartly conveyed a large spoonful of jam from the pot to his mouth.
He choked over it now, and wriggled and blushed like a child taken
red-handed.

''Twas only a nut,' he said sulkily.

'You naughty boy! Will you never learn how to behave at table? Come here,
sir. Ah, I see; as I suspected. You did not shave this morning. Go
straight to bed after you have finished your tea. How dare you disobey
me, you wicked boy!'

Gable knuckled his eyes with vigour, and began to snivel. He hated to
have a beard on his chin, but would put off shaving longer than Mrs.
Hardy thought consistent with perfect neatness. The ability to shave
himself was the one manly accomplishment Gable had learned in a long
life.

This ludicrous incident had not served to draw Harry's thoughts from his
project. All his life he had seen his