e matter.
Then hearing the solid knock of Jordas, who was bound to take horse for
Scargate House pretty early at this time of year (with the weakening of
the day among the mountains), he lost a few moments in confusion. The
dogman could not go without any answer; and how was any good answer to
be given in half an hour, at the utmost? A time had been when the lawyer
studied curtness and precision under minds of abridgment in London. But
the more he had labored to introduce rash brevity into Yorkshire, and to
cut away nine words out of ten, when all the ten meant one thing only,
the more of contempt for his ignorance he won, and the less money he
made out of it. And no sooner did he marry than he was forced to give up
that, and, like a respectable butcher, put in every pennyweight of fat
that could be charged for. Thus had he thriven and grown like a goodly
deed of fine amplification; and if he had made Squire Philip's will now,
it would scarcely have gone into any breast pocket. Unluckily it is
an easier thing to make a man's will than to carry it out, even though
fortune be favorable.

In the present case obstacles seemed to be arising which might at any
moment require great skill and tact to surmount them; and the lawyer,
hearing Jordas striding to and fro impatiently in the waiting-room, was
fain to win time for consideration by writing a short note to say
that he proposed to wait upon the ladies the very next day. For he had
important news which seemed expedient to discuss with them. In the mean
time he begged them not to be at all uneasy, for his news upon the whole
was propitious.

CHAPTER XXI

JACK AND JILL GO DOWN THE GILL

Upon a little beck that runs away into the Lune, which is a tributary of
the Tees, there stood at this time a small square house of gray stone,
partly greened with moss, or patched with drip, and opening to the sun
with small dark windows. It looked as if it never could be warm inside,
by sunshine or by fire-glow, and cared not, although it was the only
house for miles, whether it were peopled or stood empty. But this cold,
hard-looking place just now was the home of some hot and passionate
hearts.

The people were poor; and how they made their living would have been a
mystery to their neighbors, if there had been any. They rented no land,
and they followed no trade, and they took no alms by land or post; for
the begging-letter system was not yet invented. For the house itself
the