vernment will be of the old brutal kind, hard knocks, and no
stratagems. In less than a fortnight Pitt will be master again. I know
it from the very best authority. You know what access I have.' 'Then
that is past,' the other fellow answered, who seemed to speak more like
a gentleman, although he was the one that ran down me; 'that is the
Devil. They will have their wits again, and that very fat Stoobar will
be supplied with powder. Hippolyte, it is a very grand joke. Within
three miles of his head (which is empty, like his guns) we have nearly
two hundred barrels of powder, which we fear to bring over in those
flat-bottoms for fear of a volley among them. Ha! ha! Stoobar is one
fine fat ox!'

"This was all I heard, for they began to move, having had enough sugar
and water, I suppose; and they sauntered away to pay their bill at the
hatch put up at the doorway. It was hopeless to attempt to follow them;
but although I am not so quick in stays as I was, I slewed myself round
to have a squint at them. One was a slight little active chap, with
dapper legs, and jerks like a Frenchman all over. I could pardon him
for calling me a great fat ox, for want of a bit of flesh upon his own
bones. But he knows more about me than I do of him, for I never clapped
eyes on him before, to my knowledge. The other was better built, and of
some substance, but a nasty, slouchy-looking sort of cur, with high fur
collars and a long grey cloak. And that was the one called Hippolyte,
who knows all about our Government. And just the sort of fellow who
would do so in these days, when no honest man knows what they are up
to."

"That is true," said the Rector--"too true by half. But honest men
soon will have their turn, if that vile spy was well informed. The
astonishing thing is that England ever puts up with such shameful
anarchy. What has been done to defend us? Nothing, except your battery,
without a pinch of powder! With Pitt at the helm, would that have
happened? How could we have slept in our beds, if we had known it?
Fourteen guns, and not a pinch of powder!"

"But you used to sleep well enough before a gun was put there." Mrs.
Stubbard's right to spare nobody was well established by this time.
"Better have the guns, though they could not be fired, than no guns at
all, if they would frighten the enemy."

"That is true, ma'am," replied Mr. Twemlow; "but until the guns came,
we had no sense of our danger. Having taught us that, they were b