lently making a study in histrionics.

"Anything fresh while I've been away?" asked Paul.

"Humph!" said Natt.

"Nothing new? Nobody's cow calved? The mare not lost her hindmost
shoe--nothing?" asked Paul, and laughed.

"I know no more nor you," said Natt, in a grumpy tone.

Paul looked at him and laughed again. Not to-night were good spirits
like his to be quenched by a servant's ill humor.

They drove some distance without speaking, the silence being broken only
by Paul's coaxing appeals to the old mare to quicken the pace that was
carrying him to somebody who was waiting at the vicarage.

Natt recovered from his natural dudgeon at an attempt to play upon him,
and began to feel the humor of the situation. It was good sport, after
all--this little trick of Master Paul. And the best of it was that
nobody saw through it but Natt himself. Natt began to titter and look up
significantly out of his sleepy eyes into Paul's face. Paul glanced back
with a look of bewilderment; but of course that was only a part of the
game.

"Keep it up," thought Natt; "how we are doing 'em!"

The landscape lying south was a valley, with a double gable of mountains
at the top; the mill stood on a knoll two miles further up, and on any
night but the darkest its black outlines could be dimly seen against the
sky that crept down between these fells. There was no moon visible, but
the moon's light was behind the clouds.

"What has happened to the mill?" said Paul, catching sight of the
dismantled mass in the distance.

"Nowt since Saturday neet, as I've heard on," said Natt.

"And what happened then?"

"Oh, nowt, nowt--I's warrant not," said Natt, with a gurgling titter.

Paul looked perplexed. Natt had been drinking, nothing surer.

"Why, lad, the wheel is gone--look!"

"I'll not say but it is. We know all about that, we do!"

Paul glanced down again. Liquor got into the brains of some folk, but it
had gone into Natt's face. With what an idiotic grin he was looking into
one's eyes!

But Paul's heart was full of happiness. His bosom's lord sat lightly on
its throne. Natt's face was excruciatingly ridiculous, and Paul laughed
at the sight of it. Then Natt laughed, and they both laughed together,
each at, neither with, the other. "I don't know nothing, I don't. Oh,
no!" chuckled Natt, inwardly. Once he made the remark aloud.

When they came to the vicarage Paul drew up, threw the reins to Natt,
and got down.

"Don't wait for