must, to his poor dear
widow--not to shoot at Robin Lyth; because he would get a thousand
pounds, instead of a hundred for doing it. She never could have dreamed
to find her words come true so suddenly; but here was an Indian Prince
come home, who employed the most pleasant-spoken gentleman; and he might
know who it was he had to thank that even in the cave the captain did
not like to shoot that long-lost heir; and from this time out there was
no excuse for Stephen if he ever laughed at anything that his wife said.
Only on no account must Mary ever hear of it; for a bird in the hand
was worth fifty in the bush; and the other gone abroad, and under
accusation, and very likely born of a red Indian mother. Whereas Harry
Tanfield's father, George, had been as fair as a foal, poor fellow; and
perhaps if the church books had been as he desired, he might have kept
out of the church-yard to this day.

"And me in it," the farmer answered, with a laugh--"dead for love of my
wife, Sophy; as wouldn't 'a been my wife, nor drawn nigh upon fi' pounds
this very week for feathers, fur, and ribbon stuff. Well, well, George
would 'a come again, to think of it. How many times have I seen him go
with a sixpence in the palm of 's hand, and think better of the king
upon it, and worser of the poor chap as were worn out, like the tail of
it! Then back go the sixpence into George's breeches; and out comes my
shilling to the starving chap, on the sly, and never mentioned. But for
all that, I think, like enow, old George mought 'a managed to get up to
heaven."

"Stephen, I wish to hear nothing of that. The question concerns his
family, not ours, as Providence has seen fit to arrange. Now what is
your desire to have done with Mary? William has made his great discovery
at last; and if we should get the 10,000 pounds, nobody need look down
on us."

"I should like to see any one look down on me," Master Anerley said,
with his back set straight; "a' mought do so once, but a' would be
sorry afterward. Not that I would hinder him of 's own way; only that
he better keep out of mine. Sometimes, when you go thinking of your own
ideas, you never seem to bear in mind what my considerations be."

"Because you can not follow out the quickness of the way I think. You
always acknowledge that, my dear."

"Well, well. Quick churn spoileth butter. Like Willie with his perpetual
motion. What good to come of it, if he hath found out? And a' might, if
ever a body