ry words he had said, which he probably thought I
should flinch from doing; but he thereby made it the worse for himself.
No doubt he and Crabbe had reckoned on our general unpopularity, and
had not judged it so as to discover the reaction that had set in. An
endeavour to show that we were acting as spies on the trustworthy old
servant, in order to undermine him with his master, totally failed,
and, at last, the heavy fine of one shilling was imposed upon
Harold--as near an equivalent as possible to dismissing the case
altogether. Lord Erymanth himself observed to Eustace, "that he felt,
if he might say so, to a certain degree implicated, since he had
advised the dismissal of Bullock, but scarcely after this fashion."
However, he said he hoped to have Eustace among them soon in another
capacity, and this elevated him immensely.

The case had taken wind among the workmen at the potteries; and as we
came out at their dinner-hour, there was a great assemblage, loudly
cheering, "Alison, the poor man's friend!"

Eustace stood smiling and fingering his hat, till Captain Stympson, who
came out with us, hinted, as he stood between the two young men, that
it had better be stopped as soon as possible. "One may soon have too
much of such things," and then Eustace turned round on Harold, and
declared it was "just his way to bring all the Mycening mob after
them." Whereat Harold, without further answer, observed, "You'll see
Lucy home then," and plunged down among the men, who, as if nothing had
been wanting to give them a fellow-feeling for him but his having been
up before the magistrates, stretched out hands to shake; and as he
marched down between a lane of them, turned and followed the lofty
standard of his head towards their precincts.

Bullock, in great wrath and indignation, sent in his accounts that
night with a heavy balance due to him from Eustace, which Harold saw
strong cause to dispute. But that battle, in which, of course, Crabbe
was Bullock's adviser, and did all he could to annoy us, was a matter
of many months, and did not affect our life very closely. Harold was in
effect Eustace's agent, and being a very good accountant, as well as
having the confidence of the tenants, all was put in good train in that
quarter, and Mr. Alison was in the way to be respected as an excellent
landlord and improver. People were calling on us, and we were
evidently being taken into our proper place. Lady Diana no longer
withh