his felicitations with his coat, and
said to Sykes, whose senses were not acute enough to enable him to
discover unassisted where his presence and conversation were a nuisance,
"Come, sir; your road and mine lie partly together. Had we not better
bear each other company? We'll bid Moore good-morning, and leave him to
the happy fancies he seems disposed to indulge."

"And where is Sugden?" demanded Moore, looking up.

"Ah, ha!" cried Helstone. "I've not been quite idle while you were busy.
I've been helping you a little; I flatter myself not injudiciously. I
thought it better not to lose time; so, while you were parleying with
that down-looking gentleman--Farren I think his name is--I opened this
back window, shouted to Murgatroyd, who was in the stable, to bring Mr.
Sykes's gig round; then I smuggled Sugden and brother Moses--wooden leg
and all--through the aperture, and saw them mount the gig (always with
our good friend Sykes's permission, of course). Sugden took the
reins--he drives like Jehu--and in another quarter of an hour
Barraclough will be safe in Stilbro' jail."

"Very good; thank you," said Moore; "and good-morning, gentlemen," he
added, and so politely conducted them to the door, and saw them clear of
his premises.

He was a taciturn, serious man the rest of the day. He did not even
bandy a repartee with Joe Scott, who, for his part, said to his master
only just what was absolutely necessary to the progress of business,
but looked at him a good deal out of the corners of his eyes, frequently
came to poke the counting-house fire for him, and once, as he was
locking up for the day (the mill was then working short time, owing to
the slackness of trade), observed that it was a grand evening, and he
"could wish Mr. Moore to take a bit of a walk up th' Hollow. It would do
him good."

At this recommendation Mr. Moore burst into a short laugh, and after
demanding of Joe what all this solicitude meant, and whether he took him
for a woman or a child, seized the keys from his hand, and shoved him by
the shoulders out of his presence. He called him back, however, ere he
had reached the yard-gate.

"Joe, do you know those Farrens? They are not well off, I suppose?"

"They cannot be well off, sir, when they've not had work as a three
month. Ye'd see yoursel' 'at William's sorely changed--fair paired.
They've selled most o' t' stuff out o' th' house."

"He was not a bad workman?"

"Ye never had a better, sir,