"

"But I see it, but I see it," said Bartle, "and others besides me. The
captain's coming of age now--you know that as well as I do--and it's to
be expected he'll have a little more voice in things. And I know, and
you know too, what 'ud be the captain's wish about the woods, if there
was a fair opportunity for making a change. He's said in plenty of
people's hearing that he'd make you manager of the woods to-morrow, if
he'd the power. Why, Carroll, Mr. Irwine's butler, heard him say so to
the parson not many days ago. Carroll looked in when we were smoking
our pipes o' Saturday night at Casson's, and he told us about it; and
whenever anybody says a good word for you, the parson's ready to back
it, that I'll answer for. It was pretty well talked over, I can tell
you, at Casson's, and one and another had their fling at you; for if
donkeys set to work to sing, you're pretty sure what the tune'll be."

"Why, did they talk it over before Mr. Burge?" said Adam; "or wasn't he
there o' Saturday?"

"Oh, he went away before Carroll came; and Casson--he's always for
setting other folks right, you know--would have it Burge was the man to
have the management of the woods. 'A substantial man,' says he, 'with
pretty near sixty years' experience o' timber: it 'ud be all very well
for Adam Bede to act under him, but it isn't to be supposed the squire
'ud appoint a young fellow like Adam, when there's his elders and
betters at hand!' But I said, 'That's a pretty notion o' yours, Casson.
Why, Burge is the man to buy timber; would you put the woods into his
hands and let him make his own bargains? I think you don't leave your
customers to score their own drink, do you? And as for age, what that's
worth depends on the quality o' the liquor. It's pretty well known who's
the backbone of Jonathan Burge's business.'"

"I thank you for your good word, Mr. Massey," said Adam. "But, for
all that, Casson was partly i' the right for once. There's not much
likelihood that th' old squire 'ud ever consent t' employ me. I offended
him about two years ago, and he's never forgiven me."

"Why, how was that? You never told me about it," said Bartle.

"Oh, it was a bit o' nonsense. I'd made a frame for a screen for
Miss Lyddy--she's allays making something with her worsted-work, you
know--and she'd given me particular orders about this screen, and there
was as much talking and measuring as if we'd been planning a house.
However, it was a nice bit o'