can be giving me the matter of a shilling a week, and let the cooking go
for the rest of the rent. What'll you be thinking at all?"

Now, the offer was prompted by sheer impulsive kind-heartedness, wedded
to a keen indignation at injustice. Yet it must be confessed that a
sensation exceeding akin to dismay followed close on its heels. Of his
own free will he was flinging his privacy from him, and hugging intrusion
to his heart.

Job shook his head.

"You'll not stand it," said he briefly. "We don't say anything, but we
know right enough you're a come down. You didn't start in the same mould
as the rest of us."

"Rubbish," retorted Antony on a note of half-anger and wholly aghast at
the other's perspicacity. "I'm the same clay as yourself."

"A duke's that," declared Job, "but the mould's different."

"Saints alive!" cried Antony, "it's no matter what the mould may be.
Sure, it's just a question of what it's been used for at all. My mould
has been used for labour since I was little more than a boy, and stiffer
labour than this little smiling village has dreamt of, that's sure.
Besides, think of your wife and child, man."

Job hesitated, debated within his soul. "It's them I am thinking of," he
said; "I could fend for myself well enough, and snap my fingers at Curtis
and his like."

"Then, 'tis settled," said Antony with amazing cheerfulness.

There was a silence.

"Well," said Job at last, "if you're in the same mind a week hence, but
don't you go for doing things in a hurry-like, that you'll repent
later."

"'Tis settled now," said Antony. "Tell your wife, and snap your fingers
at that old curmudgeon."

Nevertheless despite his cheery assurance, he had a very bitter qualm at
his heart as, an hour or so later, he looked round his little cottage,
and realized, even more forcibly, precisely what he had done.

"Never mind," he told himself and Josephus with a good show of bravery,
"it's not for a lifetime. And, hang it all, a man's mere comfort ought to
give way before injustice of that kind."

Thus he buoyed himself up.

And then another aspect of affairs arose.

No one knew how the matter of the intended arrangement leaked out. Job
vowed he'd mentioned it to no one but his wife; his wife vowed she
mentioned it to no one but Job. Perhaps they spoke too near an open
window. Be that as it may, Antony, again at work in his garden one
evening, became aware of Mr. Curtis looking at him over the little
hed