e and broke
open the door. I had got several barrels of powder there, and when they
came in I told them if they came any further I should blow the place up.
That put them in a funk, and they all bolted, and I went to sleep again.
That's the whole affair."

"Oh!" Charlie said in a disappointed voice, for this seemed rather tame
after the thrilling reports he had heard.

"Then you didn't blow up any of 'em, Maister Ned," Abijah said
doubtfully.

"Not a man jack, Abijah. You see I could not very well have blown them
up without going up myself too, so I thought it better to put it off for
another time."

"They are very wicked, bad men," Lucy said gravely.

"Not so very wicked and bad, Lucy. You see they are almost starving, and
they consider that the new machines have taken the bread out of their
mouths, which is true enough. Now you know when people are starving,
and have not bread for their wives and children, they are apt to get
desperate. If I were to see you starving, and thought that somebody or
something was keeping the bread out of your mouth, I dare say I should
do something desperate."

"But it would be wrong all the same," Lucy said doubtfully.

"Yes, my dear, but it would be natural; and when human nature pulls one
way, and what is right pulls the other, the human nature generally gets
the best of it."

Lucy did not exactly understand, but she shook her head gravely in
general dissent to Ned's view.

"Why did you not tell us when you came home to breakfast yesterday?"
Charlie asked.

"Because I thought you were sure to hear sooner or later. I saw all the
hands in the mill had got to know about it somehow or other, and I was
sure it would soon get over the place; and I would rather that I could
say, if any one asked me, that I had not talked about it to any one, and
was in no way responsible for the absurd stories which had got about.
I have been talked about enough in Marsden, goodness knows, and it is
disgusting that just as I should think they must be getting tired of the
subject here is something fresh for them to begin upon again."

As they were at tea the servant brought in a note which had just been
left at the door. It was from Mr. Thompson, saying that in consequence
of the rumors which were current in the town he should be glad to learn
from Ned whether there was any foundation for them, and would therefore
be obliged if he would call at eight o'clock that evening. His
colleague, Mr. Simm