, too, and well enough it
worked till this rumping little tyrant came along and pushed you aside.
Goodness comes easy to you, sir, I reckon; but it bears hard upon us
poor folk that want someone to stand up for us against injustice."

"The Lord Proprietor, Mrs. Banfield, has a strong will of his own; but
I certainly never heard that he was unjust."

"Then you haven't heard, sir, what's happening over on Saaron?"

"On Saaron, ma'am?"

"On Saaron, sir.... Eh? No, to be sure.... Folks may suffer on the
Islands in these days, but what use to tell the Governor? He was good
to us in his time, but now he has cut himself off from us with his own
troubles.... Did anyone tell you, sir, the text that old Seth Hicks
preached from, over to St. Ann's, at the last service before the Lord
Proprietor closed the Meeting House? 'I will lift up mine eyes,' said
he, 'to the hills, from whence cometh my help,' and then, having given
it out, the old fellow turned solemn-like t'ards the window that looks
across here to Garrison Hill. 'Amen,' said some person in the
congregation; 'but 'tis no use, brother Seth, your seeking in that
quarter.'"

The Commandant, who had set down his basket, lifted it again wearily.
"Mrs. Banfield," said he, "won't you at least put it down to my credit
that, having (as you say) my own troubles, I don't bother my neighbours
with 'em?"

"Why, bless your heart, sir--that ever I should say it--that's what
hurts us sorest! We can fit and fend along somehow, never you mind; but
when for years you shared our little tribylations and taught us,
forrigner, tho' you were, to be open with 'ee as daylight, it do seem
cruel that you can't enjoy a bit of trouble on your own account but you
must take it away and hide it."

The Commandant's eyes moistened suddenly. "Is that how the Islanders
look at it, Mrs. Banfield?"

"It is, sir."

"Well, well," said the Major. "I never guessed.... I am a blind old
fool, it seems. But"--and here, blinking away the moisture, he smiled
at Mrs. Banfield almost gaily--"I can begin at once to make amends. The
luggage that went up the hill, just now, belongs to--to a friend of
mine--a visitor who will be my guest for a short while at the Barracks.
And this"--he tapped the basket--"is for my friend's breakfast. In
exchange for this information you shall tell me now what is the matter
over at Saaron."

"The matter is, the Lord Proprietor has given the Tregarthens notice."

The Commandant'