he
turned from a novice at the Gill Spinner and listened, not very
patiently, to one who interrupted his lesson.

"It's rather a doubtful thing that you should always be about the place
now you've left it, Levi," he said to Mr. Baggs. "It would be better
judgment and more decent on your part if you kept away."

"You may think so," answered the hackler, "but I do not. And until the
figure of my pension is settled, I shall come and go and take no
denial."

"It is settled. He don't change. He's said you shall have ten shillings
a week and no more, so that it will be."

"And what if I decline to take ten shillings a week, after fifty years
of work in his beastly Mill?"

"Then you can do the other thing and go without. You want it both ways,
you do."

"I want justice--no more. Common justice, I suppose, can be got in
Dorset as elsewhere. I ought to have had a high testimonial when I left
this blasted place--a proper presentation for all to see, and a public
feed and a purse of sovereigns at the least."

"That's what I mean when I say you can't have it both ways," answered
Mr. Best. "To be nice and pick words and consider your feelings is waste
of time, so I tell you that you can't grizzle and grumble and find fault
with everything and everybody for fifty years, and then expect people to
bow down and worship you and collect a purse of gold when you retire. If
we flew any flags about you, it would be because we'd got rid of you.
Mister Ironsyde don't like you, and why should he? You've always been up
against the employer and you've never lost a chance to poison the minds
of the employed. There's no good will in you and never was, and where
you could hang us up in the Mill and make difficulties without getting
yourself into trouble, you've always took great pleasure in so doing.
Did you ever pull with me, or anybody, if you could help it? Never. You
pulled against. You'd often have liked to treat us like the hemp and
tear us to pieces on your rougher's hackle. And how does such a man
expect anybody to care about him? There was no reason why you should
have had a pension at all, in my opinion. You've been blessed with good
health and no family, and you've never spent a shilling on another
fellow creature in your life. Therefore, it's more than justice that you
get ten shillings, and not less as you seem to think."

Mr. Baggs glowered at John during this harangue. His was the steadfast
attitude of the egoist, who sees