good luck with his farm," Mr. Jellicorse
answered, cheerfully; "and what is even rarer nowadays, I fear, good
luck of his wife, Master Jordas."

But as soon as the sturdy retainer was gone, and the sound of his heavy
boots had died away, Mr. Jellicorse shook his head very gravely, and
said, as he opened and looked through his packet, which confirmed the
words of Jordas, "Sad indiscretion--want of legal knowledge--headstrong
women--the very way to spoil it all! My troubles are beginning, and I
had better go to bed."

His good wife seconded this wise resolve; and without further parley it
was put into effect, and proclaimed to be successful by a symphony of
snores. For this is the excellence of having other people's cares to
carry (with the carriage well paid), that they sit very lightly on the
springs of sleep. That well-balanced vehicle rolls on smoothly, without
jerk, or jar, or kick, so long as it travels over alien land.

In the morning Mr. Jellicorse was up to anything, legitimate, legal, and
likely to be paid for. Not that he would stir half the breadth of one
wheat corn, even for the sake of his daily bread, from the straight and
strict line of integrity. He had made up his mind about that long ago,
not only from natural virtue, strong and dominant as that was, but also
by dwelling on his high repute, and the solid foundations of character.
He scarcely knew anybody, when he came to think of it, capable of taking
such a lofty course; but that simply confirmed him in his stern resolve
to do what was right and expedient.

It was quite one o'clock before Jack o' the Smithies rang the bell to
see about his lease. He ought to have done it two hours sooner, if he
meant to become a humble tenant; and the lawyer, although he had plenty
to do of other people's business, looked upon this as a very bad sign.
Then he read his letter of instructions once more, and could not but
admire the nice brevity of these, and the skillful style of hinting much
and declaring very little.

For after giving full particulars about the farm, and the rent, and the
covenants required, Mistress Yordas proceeded thus:

"The new tenant is the son of a former occupant, who proved to be a
remarkably honest man, in a case of strong temptation. As happens too
often with men of probity, he was misled and made bankrupt, and died
about twelve years ago, I think. Please to verify this by reference.
The late tenant was his nephew, and has never percei