Cob," he said seriously. "You can't even see a bit of the
finest down growing."

"Oh, I say," I cried, "it's too bad! I don't pretend to be a man at
sixteen; but now I've come down here to help you in the new works, you
oughtn't to treat me as if I were a little boy."

"Avast joking!" said Uncle Dick quietly, for the comely landlady came in
to clear away the tea-things, and she had just finished when there was a
double knock at the front door.

We heard it opened, and a deep voice speaking, and directly after the
landlady came in with a card.

"Mr Tomplin, gentlemen," she said. "He's at the door, and I was to say
that if it was inconvenient for you to see him to-night, perhaps you
would call at his office when you were down the town."

"Oh, ask him in, Mrs Stephenson," cried Uncle Dick; and as she left the
room--"it's the solicitor to whom I brought the letter of introduction
from the bank."

It was a short dark man in black coat and waistcoat and pepper-and-salt
trousers who was shown in. He had little sharp eyes that seemed to
glitter. So did his hair, which was of light-grey, and stood up all
over his head as if it was on white fire. He had not a particle of hair
on his face, which looked as if he was a very good customer to the
barber.

He shook hands very heartily with all of us, nodding pleasantly the
while; and when he sat down he took out a brown-and-yellow silk
handkerchief and blew his nose like a horn.

"Welcome to Yorkshire, gentlemen!" he said. "My old friends at the bank
send me a very warm letter of recommendation about you, and I'm at your
service. Professional consultations at the usual fee, six and eight or
thirteen and four, according to length. Friendly consultations--Thank
you, I'm much obliged. This is a friendly consultation. Now what can I
do for you?"

He looked round at us all, and I felt favourably impressed. So did my
uncles, as Uncle Dick answered for all.

"Nothing at present, sir. By and by we shall be glad to come to you for
legal and friendly advice too."

"That's right," said Mr Tomplin. "You've taken the Rivulet Works, I
hear."

"Yes, down there by the stream."

"What are you going to do?--carry on the old forging and grinding?"

"Oh, dear, no!" said Uncle Dick. "We are going in for odds and ends,
sir. To introduce, I hope, a good many improvements in several branches
of the trades carried on here, principally in forging."

Mr Tomplin drew in his lip