hat an awful solemn thing I reckon
it."

"Then may God rot me, and plague me, and let me roast in hell-fire with
the rogues for ever and a day, if I so much as whisper your news to man
or mouse! There, will that do?"

"No call to drag in hell fire, 'cause I knaw you doan't set no count on
it. More doan't I. Hell's cold ashes now if all what you ve said is
true. But you've sworn all right and now I'll tell 'e."

He bent forward and whispered in the other's ear, whereon Hicks started
in evident amazement and showed himself much concerned.

"Good Heavens! Man alive, are you mad?"

"You doan't 'zactly look on ahead enough, Clem," said Will loftily.
"Ban't the thing itself's gwaine to make a fortune, but what comes of
it. 'Tis a tidy stepping-stone lead-in' to gert matters very often, as
your books tell, I dare say."

"It can't lead to anything whatever in your case but wasted years."

"I'm best judge of that. I've planned the road, and if I ban't home
again inside ten year as good a man as Grimbal or any other I'll say I
was wrong."

"You're a bigger fool than even I thought, Blanchard."

Will's eye flashed.

"You 'm a tidy judge of a fule, I grant," he said angrily, "or should
be. But you 'm awnly wan more against me. You'll see you 'm wrong like
the rest. Anyway, you've got to mind what you've sweared. An' when
mother an' Chris ax 'e wheer I be, I'll thank you to say I'm out in the
world doin' braave, an' no more."

"As you like. It 's idle, I know, trying to make you change your mind."

A thin voice from an upper chamber of the cottage here interrupted their
colloquy, and the mother of the bee-keeper reminded him that he was due
early on the following day at Okehampton with honey, and that he ought
long since to be asleep.

"If that's Will Blanchard," she concluded, "tell un to be off home to
bed. What 's the wisdom o' turning night hours into day like this here?"

"All right, mother," shouted Will. "Gude-night to 'e. I be off this
moment."

Then bidding his friend farewell, he departed.

"Doan't think twice o' what I said a minute since. I was hot 'cause you
couldn't see no wisdom in my plan. But that's the way of folks. They
belittle a chap's best thoughts and acts till the time comes for luck to
turn an' bring the fruit; then them as scoffed be the first to turn
round smilin' an' handshaking and sayin', 'What did us say? Didn't us
tell 'e so from the very beginning?'"

Away went the youthful wate