l send for my wife and the children when I'm ready
for them."

"Hear one word," said Mr. Burnet. "I have no wish to detain you an
hour if you wish to go, nor will I take any payment or fine. The only
thing that troubles me is that not one of the other men is capable of
filling your place, not one of them could undertake the position of
foreman, even if I were willing to offer it."

"No," replied Rayner, "you can't fill my place with one of those
duffers. But, I say, what about this chap from London? Can't you make
him foreman?"

Mr. Burnet and Mitchell looked at each other; then said the master,
"What do you think, Mitchell?"

"Settle it between you," cried Rayner, "it is no business of mine.
Good-bye, and good luck to you! I shall see no more of that old _Times
and Post_, I'm thankful to say. New times and a new post for me! So
I'm off!"

And away he went, down the private road and into the highroad, and to
his cottage home, where he astounded his wife by his words and manner,
and from whence he betook himself and was seen no more in
Littlebourne. A fortnight later, Mrs. Rayner, a quiet, sensible woman,
took herself and her children out of the place, and Rayner and his
thirty thousand pounds were only remembered as something to laugh over
and wonder at.

As for Thomas Mitchell--well, it was almost too good to be true. He
looked over the works, saw the presses, talked with the men, and came
to the conclusion that he could undertake the duties of foreman. It
was a great rise for him.

"I never thought of such a thing, sir, when I came down here."

"Nor did I, Mitchell. I only thought of bringing you into good air,
and setting you up in health. If Rayner had not made room for you, you
could only have been one of the journeymen printers."

"Seems to me," said Mitchell huskily, "that a kind Hand has led me
here in a wonderful way. I see quite plainly that it is not myself
that has brought me here."

"I see that too," answered Mr. Burnet. "I little thought when I found
a naughty girl astray on the river that such events would occur. Your
Juliet did not seem of any consequence to me, but when Rowles told me
of her father's bad health I just said to myself that he would have a
better chance in the country. And the idea put itself into shape, and
you were brought down here, and then exactly at the right moment
Rayner's good fortune--if it really turns out to be good fortune--came
to him, and the post was open for