hended him a revenue card, end took the pore Cuban away. Next day
Beamish's was raided, end Nesh and I kem in for quite a rewerd."

"Then the detective was Nash?" asked Mr Walker.

"Yes, Nesh, with a big men's clowthes on, padded out."

"And what were you in the matter?"

"Oh, I wes the pore yeng Cuban thet could herdly speak Inglish."

"I don't think he can yet," whispered Miss Carmichael to Coristine, who
thought it an immense joke.

"So you made Squire Walker an informer against his will, Mr. Bangs,"
said Carruthers.

"Yes; but it was complimentary, too. We knew if there were any good
cigars in the village, the Squire's wes the best place to look for
them."

"You should have had me up for having smuggled goods in my possession,"
said the complimented talker.

"No, no, Squire; you see you were the next thing to Queen's evidence,
and they always go scotfree."

"A receiver and Queen's evidence! and the miserable little Cuban! Haw!
haw! haw!"

That is the story of how Squire Walker was silenced.

After breakfast there were prayers, as usual, conducted by the two
clergymen, and when they were over, the three J.P.'s, Doctor Halbert
being one, assembled for consultation in the office. Tom Rigby, the
constable, reported himself to the magistrate's court, and thereafter
adjourned to the kitchen, there to hold converse with his brother
veteran, Mr. Terry. Tom was tall, and as straight as if he had swallowed
a ramrod. He gave the military salute with great precision and
regularity. He was a widower, and a frequent visitor in the Bridesdale
servants' quarters, whence it was commonly reported that he had an eye
on Tryphena. Sylvanus had heard of this, with the effect that he lost no
opportunity of running down the trade of a soldier, and comparing it
most unfavourably with the free, rollicking life of the heaving sea. To
hear Sylvanus speak, one would imagine that the _Susan Thomas_ was
annually in the habit of circumnavigating the globe. The children's
breakfast was over, and they were all out in the garden picking certain
permitted flowers, and presenting them to their favourites among the
guests; but Mr. Terry had still remained, conversing with Mr. Hill,
whose book-larnin' was so voluminous that he made slow progress with his
breakfast, having had his cold tea thrice removed by his eldest daughter
and replaced with hot. When Rigby entered and saluted, the veteran rose
and returned the salute. "Good morning, Ser