sight of the top of the ladder and Simon's head above the wall,
laid aside all other business, and descended into the garden.

Simon kept on at his work, only replying by a jerk of the head
and one of his grunts to his neighbour's salutation.

David took his coat off, and his pruning knife out, and,
establishing himself within easy shot of his old oppressor,
opened fire at once--

"Thou'st gi'en thy consent, then?"

"'Tis no odds, consent or none--her's old enough to hev her own
waay."

"But thou'st gi'en thy consent?"

"Ees, then, if thou wilt hev't," said Simon, somewhat surlily;
"wut then?"

"So I heerd," said David, indulging in an audible chuckle.

"What bist a laughin' at?"

"I be laughin' to think how folks changes. Do'st mind the hard
things as thou hast judged and said o' Harry? Not as ever I known
thy judgment to be o' much account, 'cept about roots. But thou
saidst, times and times, as a would come to the gallows."

"So a med yet--so a med yet," answered Simon. "Not but wut I
wishes well to un, and bears no grudges; but others as hev got
the law ov un medn't."

"'Tis he as hev got grudges to bear. He don't need none o' thy
forgiveness."

"Pr'aps a medn't. But hev 'em got the law ov un, or hevn't em?"

"Wut do'st mean--got the law ov un?"

"Thaay warrants as wur out agen un, along wi' the rest as was
transpworted auver Farmer Tester's job."

"Oh, he've got no call to be afeard o' thaay now. Thou know'st I
hears how 'tis laid down in Sessions and 'Sizes, wher' I've a
been this twenty year."

"Like enuff. Only, wut's to hinder thaay tryin' ov un, if thaay
be a minded to 't? That's what I wants to know."

"'Tis wut the counsellors calls the Statut o' Lamentations," said
the constable, proudly.

"Wutever's Lamentations got to do wi't?"

"A gurt deal, I tell 'ee. What do'st thou know o' Lamentations?"

"Lamentations cums afore Ezekiel in the Bible."

"That ain't no kin to the Statut o' Lamentations. But ther's
summut like to't in the Bible," said the constable, stopping his
work to consider a moment. "Do'st mind the year when the land wur
all to be guv back to thaay as owned it fust, and debts wur to be
wiped out?"

"Ees, I minds summut o' that."

"Well, this here statut says, if so be as a man hev bin to the
wars, and sarved his country like; as nothin' shan't be reckoned
agen he, let alone murder. Nothin' can't do away wi' murder."

"No, nor oughtn't. Hows'mdever, you seems clea