the first
to strike, with the remark that he would like to see the color of Mr.
Ukridge's money before supplying further joints. Dawlish, the grocer,
had expressed almost exactly similar sentiments two days later, and
the ranks of these passive resisters had been receiving fresh recruits
ever since. To a man the tradesmen of Lyme Regis seemed as deficient
in simple faith as they were in Norman blood.

"Can't you pay some of them a little on account?" I suggested. "It
would set them going again."

"My dear old man," said Ukridge impressively, "we need every penny of
ready money we can raise for the farm. The place simply eats money.
That infernal roop let us in for I don't know what."

That insidious epidemic had indeed proved costly. We had painted the
throats of the chickens with the best turpentine--at least, Ukridge
and Beale had--but in spite of their efforts dozens had died, and we
had been obliged to sink much more money than was pleasant in
restocking the run.

"No," said Ukridge, summing up, "these men must wait. We can't help
their troubles. Why, good gracious, it isn't as if they'd been waiting
for the money long. We've not been down here much over a month. I
never heard such a scandalous thing. 'Pon my word, I've a good mind to
go round and have a straight talk with one or two of them. I come and
settle down here, and stimulate trade, and give them large orders, and
they worry me with bills when they know I'm up to my eyes in work,
looking after the fowls. One can't attend to everything. This business
is just now at its most crucial point. It would be fatal to pay any
attention to anything else with things as they are. These scoundrels
will get paid all in good time."

It is a peculiarity of situations of this kind that the ideas of
debtor and creditor as to what constitutes good time never coincide.

I am afraid that, despite the urgent need for strict attention to
business, I was inclined to neglect my duties about this time. I had
got into the habit of wandering off, either to the links, where I
generally found the professor and sometimes Phyllis, or on long walks
by myself. There was one particular walk, along the Ware cliff,
through some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever set eyes on,
which more than any other suited my mood. I would work my way through
the woods till I came to a small clearing on the very edge of the
cliff. There I would sit by the hour. Somehow I found that my ideas
flow