the subject, feeling convinced that this plan of retirement
was for the good of the family generally, and therefore she had
advocated it with energy. There may be those who think that a wife
goes too far in threatening a husband with a commission of lunacy,
and frightening him with a prospect of various fatal diseases; but
the dose must be adapted to the constitution, and the palate that is
accustomed to large quantities of red pepper must have quantities
larger than usual whenever some special culinary effect is to be
achieved. On the present occasion Mrs. Tappitt went on talking to
the girls of their father in language that was quite eulogistic. No
threat against the absent brewer passed her mouth,--or theirs. But
they all understood each other, and were agreed that everything was
to be done to induce papa to accept Mr. Rowan's offer.

"Then," said Cherry, "he'll marry Rachel Ray, and she'll be mistress
of the brewery house."

"Never!" said Mrs. Tappitt, very solemnly. "Never! He'll never be
such a fool as that."

"Never!" said Augusta. "Never!"

In the mean time the meeting went on at the Dragon. I can't say that
Mr. Tappitt was on this occasion called upon to preside over the
petition. He was simply invited to take the chair at a meeting of
a dozen men at Baslehurst who were brought together by Mr. Sharpit
in order that they might be induced by him to recommend Mr. Hart to
employ him, Mr. Sharpit, in getting up the petition in question; and
in order that there might be some sufficient temptation to these
twelve men to gather themselves together, the dinner at the Dragon
was added to the meeting. Mr. Tappitt took the chair in the big,
uncarpeted, fusty room upstairs, in which masonic meetings were held
once a month, and in which the farmers of the neighbourhood dined
once a week, on market days. He took the chair and some seven or
eight of his townsmen clustered round him. The others had sent word
that they would manage to come in time for the dinner. Mr. Sharpit,
before he put the brewer in his place of authority, prompted him
as to what he was to do, and in the course of a quarter of an hour
two resolutions, already prepared by Mr. Sharpit, had been passed
unanimously. Mr. Hart was to be told by the assembled people of
Baslehurst that he would certainly be seated by a scrutiny, and
he was to be advised to commence his proceedings at once. These
resolutions were duly committed to paper by one of Mr. Sharpit's