im the other day how his mother was; and he turned
upon me like a mad dog, and told me to keep his name off my lips, and
said he'd have my life if I gave him up."

"That's coorious then, for he 's hungry to give himself up, so soon as
the auld woman 's well again."

"Talk! I suppose he sent you to whine for him?"

"Not so. He'd have blocked my road if he'd guessed."

"Well, I'm honest when I say I don't care a curse what he does or does
not. Let him go his way. And as to proclaiming him, I shall do so when
it pleases me. An odious crime that,--a traitor to his country."

"Doan't become you nor me to dwell 'pon that, seeing how things was."

Grimbal rose.

"You think he 's a noble fellow, and that your daughter had a merciful
escape. It isn't for me to suggest you are mistaken. Now I've no more
time to spare, I'm afraid."

The miller also rose, and as he prepared to depart he spoke a final
word.

"You 'm terrible pushed for time, by the looks of it. I knaw 't is hard
in this life to find time to do right, though every man can make a
'mazing mort o' leisure for t' other thing. But hear me: you 'm ruinin'
yourself, body an' sawl, along o' this job--body an' sawl, like apples
in a barrel rots each other. You 'm in a bad way, Jan Grimbal, an' I'm
sorry for 'e--brick house an' horses an' dogs notwithstanding. Have a
spring cleaning in that sulky brain o' yourn, my son, an' be a man wi'
yourself, same as you be a man wi' the world."

The other sneered.

"Don't get hot. The air is cold. And as you've given so much good
advice, take some, too. Mind your own business, and let your son-in-law
mind his."

Mr. Lyddon shook his head.

"Such words do only prove me right. Look in your heart an' see how 't is
with you that you can speak to an auld man so. 'T is common metal
shawing up in 'e, an' I'm sorry to find it."

He set off home without more words and, as chance ordered the incident,
emerged from the avenue gates of the Red House while a covered vehicle
passed by on the way from Moreton Hampstead. Its roof was piled with
luggage, and inside sat Chris, her husband, and Will. They spied Mr.
Lyddon and made room for him; but later on in the evening Will taxed the
miller with his action.

"I knawed right well wheer you'd come from," he said gloomily, "an' I'd
'a' cut my right hand off rather than you should have done it. You did
n't ought, Faither; for I'll have no living man come between me an'
him."

"I made it