ce and see whether I ain't told
you true. I'm willing to abide by what he says."

Mr. Quince put down his hammer and, brushing a little snuff from his
coat, leaned back in his chair and eyed them with grave confidence.

"It's like this," said the farmer. "Young Pascoe has been hanging round
after my girl Celia, though I told her she wasn't to have nothing to do
with him. Half an hour ago I was going to put my pony in its stable when
I see a young man sitting there waiting."

"Well?" said Mr. Quince, after a pause.

"He's there yet," said the farmer. "I locked him in, and Hogg here says
that I've got the right to keep him locked up there as long as I like. I
say it's agin the law, but Hogg he says no. I say his folks would come
and try to break open my stable, but Hogg says if they do I can have the
law of 'em for damaging my property."

"So you can," interposed Mr. Hogg, firmly. "You see whether Lawyer
Quince don't say I'm right."

Mr. Quince frowned, and in order to think more deeply closed his eyes.
Taking advantage of this three of his auditors, with remarkable
unanimity, each closed one.

"It's your stable," said Mr. Quince, opening his eyes and speaking with
great deliberation, "and you have a right to lock it up when you like."

"There you are," said Mr. Hogg; "what did I tell you?"

"If anybody's there that's got no business there, that's his look-out,"
continued Mr. Quince. "You didn't induce him to go in?"

"Certainly not," replied the farmer.

"I told him he can keep him there as long as he likes," said the jubilant
Mr. Hogg, "and pass him in bread and water through the winder; it's got
bars to it."

"Yes," said Mr. Quince, nodding, "he can do that. As for his folks
knocking the place about, if you like to tie up one or two of them nasty,
savage dogs of yours to the stable, well, it's your stable, and you can
fasten your dogs to it if you like. And you've generally got a man about
the yard."

Mr. Hogg smacked his thigh in ecstasy.

"But--" began the farmer.

"That's the law," said the autocratic Mr. Quince, sharply. "O' course,
if you think you know more about it than I do, I've nothing more to say."

"I don't want to do nothing I could get into trouble for," murmured Mr.
Rose.

"You can't get into trouble by doing as I tell you," said the shoemaker,
impatiently. "However, to be quite on the safe side, if I was in your
place I should lose the key."

"Lose the key?" said the