sed him.

"You knaw best, Will, dearie; you nearly allus knaw best; but your
heart's bigger 'n your pocket--an' a li'l child do call so loud for the
spendin' o' money."

"Aye, I knaw, I knaw; 'tis a parent's plaace to stand up for his
offspring through fire an' water; an' I reckon I won't be the worst
faither as ever was, either. I can mind the time when I was young
myself. Stern but kind's the right rule. Us'll bring un up in the proper
way, an' teach un to use his onderstandin' an' allus knuckle down 'fore
his elders. To tell 'e truth, Phoebe, I've a notion I might train up a
cheel better'n some men."

"Yes, Will, I think so, tu. But 'tis food an' clothes an' li'l boots an'
such-like comes first. A hunderd pounds be such a mort o' money."

"'Twill set 'em up in a fair way."

"Fifty wouldn't hardly do, p'r'aps?"

"Hardly. I like to carry a job through clean an' vitty while I'm on it."

"You've got such a big spirit."

"As to that, money so spent ban't lost--'tis all in the fam'ly."

"Of course 'tis a gude advertisement for you. Folk'll think you'm
prosperin' an' look up to you more."

"Well, some might, though I doan't 'zactly mean it like that. Yet the
putting out o' three figures o' money must make neighbours ope their
eyes. Not that I want anybody to knaw either."

So, against her judgment, Phoebe was won over, and presently she and her
husband made merry at prospect of the great thing contemplated. Will
imitated Clement's short, glum, and graceless manner before the gift;
Phoebe began to spend the money and plan the bee-keeper's cottage when
Chris should enter it as a bride; and thus, having enjoyed an hour of
delight the most pure and perfect that can fall to human lot, the young
couple retired.

Elsewhere defeat and desolation marked the efforts of the luckless poet
to improve his position. All thoughts drifted towards the Red House, and
when, struggling from this dark temptation, he turned to Martin Grimbal
rather than his brother, Fate crushed this hope also. The antiquary was
not in Chagford, and Clement recollected that Martin had told him he
designed some visits to the doom rings of Iceland, and other
contemporary remains of primeval man in Brittany and in Ireland. To find
him at present was impossible, for he had left no address, and his
housekeeper only knew that he would be out of England until the autumn.

Now the necessity for action gained gigantically upon Hicks, and spun a
net of subt