ucky."

"No--not always!" he said, shaking his head gloomily as he contemplated
a crumb on the table. "I know many who have not been so! There was
Sandy Macfarlane, who started to America to try his fortune, and he was
drowned; and Archibald Leith, he was murdered! And poor Willie Dunbleeze
and Maitland Macfreeze--they fell into bad courses, and went the way of
all such!"

"Why--you old goosey--I was only speaking in a general sense, of course!
You are always so literal. Now when we have finished tea, sing me
that funny song about high-heeled shoon and siller tags, and the
one-and-forty wooers."

"No, no. I couldna sing to-night! It's Henchard--he hates me; so that I
may not be his friend if I would. I would understand why there should be
a wee bit of envy; but I cannet see a reason for the whole intensity
of what he feels. Now, can you, Lucetta? It is more like old-fashioned
rivalry in love than just a bit of rivalry in trade."

Lucetta had grown somewhat wan. "No," she replied.

"I give him employment--I cannet refuse it. But neither can I blind
myself to the fact that with a man of passions such as his, there is no
safeguard for conduct!"

"What have you heard--O Donald, dearest?" said Lucetta in alarm. The
words on her lips were "anything about me?"--but she did not utter them.
She could not, however, suppress her agitation, and her eyes filled with
tears.

"No, no--it is not so serious as ye fancy," declared Farfrae soothingly;
though he did not know its seriousness so well as she.

"I wish you would do what we have talked of," mournfully remarked
Lucetta. "Give up business, and go away from here. We have plenty of
money, and why should we stay?"

Farfrae seemed seriously disposed to discuss this move, and they talked
thereon till a visitor was announced. Their neighbour Alderman Vatt came
in.

"You've heard, I suppose of poor Doctor Chalkfield's death? Yes--died
this afternoon at five," said Mr. Vatt. Chalkfield was the Councilman who
had succeeded to the Mayoralty in the preceding November.

Farfrae was sorry at the intelligence, and Mr. Vatt continued: "Well, we
know he's been going some days, and as his family is well provided for
we must take it all as it is. Now I have called to ask 'ee this--quite
privately. If I should nominate 'ee to succeed him, and there should be
no particular opposition, will 'ee accept the chair?"

"But there are folk whose turn is before mine; and I'm over young, and