the
rain comes down! You really must stop: Mrs Hodges will make you very
comfortable."

With many thanks, but still with considerable reluctance, Mrs Franklin
acquiesced in this arrangement. Their hostess then accommodated them
with such garments as they needed, and all assembled round the blazing
fire. Mr Tankardew had divested himself of a rough top coat, and,
looking like the gentleman he was, begged Mrs Hodges to give them some
tea.

What a tea that was! Mary, though delicately brought up, thought she
had never tasted anything like it, so delicious and reviving: such ham!
Such eggs! Such bread! Such cream! Really, it was almost worth while
getting the fright and the wetting to enjoy such a meal with so keen a
relish.

"They've got a famous distillery in this house," remarked Mr Tankardew
when they had finished their tea.

"A famous what?" asked Mrs Franklin, in great surprise.

"Dear me," said Mary aghast, "I really thought I--"

"Oh! You thought they were teetotalers here: well, you should know that
it is a common custom in these parts to put rum or other spirits into
the tea, especially when people have company. Now, Hodges and his wife
are not content with putting spirits into the tea, but they put them
into everything: into their bread, and their ham, and into their eggs."

Mrs Franklin looked partly dismayed and partly puzzled.

"Yes, it is true, madam. The fact is simply this: the spirits which my
good tenants distil are made up of four ingredients--diligence, good
temper, honesty, and total abstinence; and that is what makes everything
they have to be so good of its kind."

"I wish we had more distilleries of this kind," said Mrs Franklin,
smiling.

"So do I, madam; but it is a sadly dishonest, unfaithful, and self-
indulgent age, and the drink has very much to do with it, directly or
indirectly. Here, Sam," to the farmer and his wife who had just re-
entered the kitchen, "do you and your mistress come and draw up your
chairs, and give us a little of your thoughts on the subject; there's
nothing, sometimes, so good as seeing with other people's eyes,
specially when they are the eyes of persons who look on things from a
different level of life."

"Why, Mayster Tankardew," said the farmer, "it isn't for the likes of me
to be giving my opinion of things afore you and these ladies; but I
_has_ my opinion, nevertheless."

"Of course you have. Now, tell us what you think about the young