TheNight-SchoolandtheSchoolmasterBartleMassey’swasoneofafewscatteredhousesontheedgeofacommon，whichwasdividedbytheroadtoTreddleston。AdamreacheditinaquarterofanhourafterleavingtheHallFarm；
　　andwhenhehadhishandonthedoor-latch，hecouldsee，throughthecurtainlesswindow，thattherewereeightornineheadsbendingoverthedesks，lightedbythindips。
　　Whenheentered，areadinglessonwasgoingforwardandBartleMasseymerelynodded，leavinghimtotakehisplacewherehepleased。Hehadnotcomeforthesakeofalessonto-night，andhismindwastoofullofpersonalmatters，toofullofthelasttwohourshehadpassedinHetty’spresence，forhimtoamusehimselfwithabooktillschoolwasover；sohesatdowninacornerandlookedonwithanabsentmind。ItwasasortofscenewhichAdamhadbeheldalmostweeklyforyears；heknewbyhearteveryarabesqueflourishintheframedspecimenofBartleMassey’shandwritingwhichhungovertheschoolmaster’shead，bywayofkeepingaloftyidealbeforethemindsofhispupils；heknewthebacksofallthebooksontheshelfrunningalongthewhitewashedwallabovethepegsfortheslates；heknewexactlyhowmanygrainsweregoneoutoftheearofIndiancornthathungfromoneoftherafters；hehadlongagoexhaustedtheresourcesofhisimaginationintryingtothinkhowthebunchofleatheryseaweedhadlookedandgrowninitsnativeelement；andfromtheplacewherehesat，hecouldmakenothingoftheoldmapofEnglandthathungagainsttheoppositewall，foragehadturneditofafineyellowbrown，somethinglikethatofawell-seasonedmeerschaum。
　　Thedramathatwasgoingonwasalmostasfamiliarasthescene，neverthelesshabithadnotmadehimindifferenttoit，andeveninhispresentself-absorbedmood，Adamfeltamomentarystirringoftheoldfellow-feeling，ashelookedattheroughmenpainfullyholdingpenorpencilwiththeircrampedhands，orhumblylabouringthroughtheirreadinglesson。
　　Thereadingclassnowseatedontheforminfrontoftheschoolmaster’sdeskconsistedofthethreemostbackwardpupils。
　　AdamwouldhaveknownitonlybyseeingBartleMassey’sfaceashelookedoverhisspectacles，whichhehadshiftedtotheridgeofhisnose，notrequiringthemforpresentpurposes。Thefaceworeitsmildestexpression:thegrizzledbushyeyebrowshadtakentheirmoreacuteangleofcompassionatekindness，andthemouth，habituallycompressedwithapoutofthelowerlip，wasrelaxedsoastobereadytospeakahelpfulwordorsyllableinamoment。
　　Thisgentleexpressionwasthemoreinterestingbecausetheschoolmaster’snose，anirregularaquilinetwistedalittleononeside，hadratheraformidablecharacter；andhisbrow，moreover，hadthatpeculiartensionwhichalwaysimpressesoneasasignofakeenimpatienttemperament:theblueveinsstoodoutlikecordsunderthetransparentyellowskin，andthisintimidatingbrowwassoftenedbynotendencytobaldness，forthegreybristlyhair，cutdowntoaboutaninchinlength，stoodrounditinascloseranksasever。
　　"Nay，Bill，nay，"Bartlewassayinginakindtone，ashenoddedtoAdam，"beginthatagain，andthenperhaps，it’llcometoyouwhatd-r-yspells。It’sthesamelessonyoureadlastweek，youknow。"
　　"Bill"wasasturdyfellow，agedfour-and-twenty，anexcellentstone-sawyer，whocouldgetasgoodwagesasanymaninthetradeofhisyears；buthefoundareadinglessoninwordsofonesyllableahardermattertodealwiththanthehardeststonehehadeverhadtosaw。Theletters，hecomplained，wereso"uncommonalike，therewasnotellin’’emonefromanother，"thesawyer’sbusinessnotbeingconcernedwithminutedifferencessuchasexistbetweenaletterwithitstailturnedupandaletterwithitstailturneddown。ButBillhadafirmdeterminationthathewouldlearntoread，foundedchieflyontworeasons:first，thatTomHazelow，hiscousin，couldreadanything"rightoff，"
　　whetheritwasprintorwriting，andTomhadsenthimaletterfromtwentymilesoff，sayinghowhewasprosperingintheworldandhadgotanoverlooker’splace；secondly，thatSamPhillips，whosawedwithhim，hadlearnedtoreadwhenhewasturnedtwenty，andwhatcouldbedonebyalittlefellowlikeSamPhillips，Billconsidered，couldbedonebyhimself，seeingthathecouldpoundSamintowetclayifcircumstancesrequiredit。Soherehewas，pointinghisbigfingertowardsthreewordsatonce，andturninghisheadononesidethathemightkeepbetterholdwithhiseyeoftheonewordwhichwastobediscriminatedoutofthegroup。
　　TheamountofknowledgeBartleMasseymustpossesswassomethingsodimandvastthatBill’simaginationrecoiledbeforeit:hewouldhardlyhaveventuredtodenythattheschoolmastermighthavesomethingtodoinbringingabouttheregularreturnofdaylightandthechangesintheweather。
　　ThemanseatednexttoBillwasofaverydifferenttype:hewasaMethodistbrickmakerwho，afterspendingthirtyyearsofhislifeinperfectsatisfactionwithhisignorance，hadlately"gotreligion，"andalongwithitthedesiretoreadtheBible。Butwithhim，too，learningwasaheavybusiness，andonhiswayoutto-nighthehadofferedasusualaspecialprayerforhelp，seeingthathehadundertakenthishardtaskwithasingleeyetothenourishmentofhissoul——thathemighthaveagreaterabundanceoftextsandhymnswherewithtobanishevilmemoriesandthetemptationsofoldhabit——or，inbrieflanguage，thedevil。Forthebrickmakerhadbeenanotoriouspoacher，andwassuspected，thoughtherewasnogoodevidenceagainsthim，ofbeingthemanwhohadshotaneighbouringgamekeeperintheleg。Howeverthatmightbe，itiscertainthatshortlyaftertheaccidentreferredto，whichwascoincidentwiththearrivalofanawakeningMethodistpreacheratTreddleston，agreatchangehadbeenobservedinthebrickmaker；andthoughhewasstillknownintheneighbourhoodbyhisoldsobriquetof"Brimstone，"therewasnothingheheldinsomuchhorrorasanyfurthertransactionswiththatevil-smellingelement。Hewasabroad-chestedfellow。withafervidtemperament，whichhelpedhimbetterinimbibingreligiousideasthaninthedryprocessofacquiringthemerehumanknowledgeofthealphabet。Indeed，hehadbeenalreadyalittleshakeninhisresolutionbyabrotherMethodist，whoassuredhimthattheletterwasamereobstructiontotheSpirit，andexpressedafearthatBrimstonewastooeagerfortheknowledgethatpuffethup。
　　Thethirdbeginnerwasamuchmorepromisingpupil。Hewasatallbutthinandwiryman，nearlyasoldasBrimstone，withaverypalefaceandhandsstainedadeepblue。Hewasadyer，whointhecourseofdippinghomespunwoolandoldwomen’spetticoatshadgotfiredwiththeambitiontolearnagreatdealmoreaboutthestrangesecretsofcolour。Hehadalreadyahighreputationinthedistrictforhisdyes，andhewasbentondiscoveringsomemethodbywhichhecouldreducetheexpenseofcrimsonsandscarlets。ThedruggistatTreddlestonhadgivenhimanotionthathemightsavehimselfagreatdealoflabourandexpenseifhecouldlearntoread，andsohehadbeguntogivehissparehourstothenight-school，resolvingthathis"littlechap"shouldlosenotimeincomingtoMr。Massey’sday-schoolassoonashewasoldenough。
　　Itwastouchingtoseethesethreebigmen，withthemarksoftheirhardlabouraboutthem，anxiouslybendingoverthewornbooksandpainfullymakingout，"Thegrassisgreen，""Thesticksaredry，""Thecornisripe"——averyhardlessontopasstoaftercolumnsofsinglewordsallalikeexceptinthefirstletter。Itwasalmostasifthreeroughanimalsweremakinghumbleeffortstolearnhowtheymightbecomehuman。AndittouchedthetenderestfibreinBartleMassey’snature，forsuchfull-grownchildrenastheseweretheonlypupilsforwhomhehadnosevereepithetsandnoimpatienttones。Hewasnotgiftedwithanimperturbabletemper，andonmusic-nightsitwasapparentthatpatiencecouldneverbeaneasyvirtuetohim；butthisevening，asheglancesoverhisspectaclesatBillDownes，thesawyer，whoisturninghisheadononesidewithadesperatesenseofblanknessbeforethelettersd-r-y，hiseyesshedtheirmildestandmostencouraginglight。
　　Afterthereadingclass，twoyouthsbetweensixteenandnineteencameupwiththeimaginarybillsofparcels，whichtheyhadbeenwritingoutontheirslatesandwerenowrequiredtocalculate"off-hand"——atestwhichtheystoodwithsuchimperfectsuccessthatBartleMassey，whoseeyeshadbeenglaringatthemominouslythroughhisspectaclesforsomeminutes，atlengthburstoutinabitter，high-pitchedtone，pausingbetweeneverysentencetorapthefloorwithaknobbedstickwhichrestedbetweenhislegs。
　　"Now，yousee，youdon’tdothisthingabitbetterthanyoudidafortnightago，andI’lltellyouwhat’sthereason。Youwanttolearnaccounts——that’swellandgood。Butyouthinkallyouneeddotolearnaccountsistocometomeanddosumsforanhourorso，twoorthreetimesa-week；andnosoonerdoyougetyourcapsonandturnoutofdoorsagainthanyousweepthewholethingcleanoutofyourmind。Yougowhistlingabout，andtakenomorecarewhatyou’rethinkingofthanifyourheadswereguttersforanyrubbishtoswillthroughthathappenedtobeintheway；andifyougetagoodnotionin’em，it’sprettysoonwashedoutagain。Youthinkknowledgeistobegotcheap——you’llcomeandpayBartleMasseysixpencea-week，andhe’llmakeyoucleveratfigureswithoutyourtakinganytrouble。Butknowledgeisn’ttobegotwithpayingsixpence，letmetellyou。Ifyou’retoknowfigures，youmustturn’emoverinyourheadsandkeepyourthoughtsfixedon’em。There’snothingyoucan’tturnintoasum，forthere’snothingbutwhat’sgotnumberinit——evenafool。Youmaysaytoyourselves，’I’monefool，andJack’sanother；ifmyfool’sheadweighedfourpound，andJack’sthreepoundthreeouncesandthreequarters，howmanypennyweightsheavierwouldmyheadbethanJack’s？’Amanthathadgothisheartinlearningfigureswouldmakesumsforhimselfandwork’eminhishead。
　　Whenhesatathisshoemaking，he’dcounthisstitchesbyfives，andthenputapriceonhisstitches，sayhalfafarthing，andthenseehowmuchmoneyhecouldgetinanhour；andthenaskhimselfhowmuchmoneyhe’dgetinadayatthatrate；andthenhowmuchtenworkmenwouldgetworkingthree，ortwenty，orahundredyearsatthatrate——andallthewhilehisneedlewouldbegoingjustasfastasifhelefthisheademptyforthedeviltodancein。Butthelongandtheshortofitis——I’llhavenobodyinmynight-schoolthatdoesn’tstrivetolearnwhathecomestolearn，ashardasifhewasstrivingtogetoutofadarkholeintobroaddaylight。I’llsendnomanawaybecausehe’sstupid:
　　ifBillyTaft，theidiot，wantedtolearnanything，I’dnotrefusetoteachhim。ButI’llnotthrowawaygoodknowledgeonpeoplewhothinktheycangetitbythesixpenn’orth，andcarryitawaywith’emastheywouldanounceofsnuff。Sonevercometomeagain，ifyoucan’tshowthatyou’vebeenworkingwithyourownheads，insteadofthinkingthatyoucanpayforminetoworkforyou。That’sthelastwordI’vegottosaytoyou。"
　　Withthisfinalsentence，BartleMasseygaveasharperrapthaneverwithhisknobbedstick，andthediscomfitedladsgotuptogowithasulkylook。Theotherpupilshadhappilyonlytheirwriting-bookstoshow，invariousstagesofprogressfrompot-
　　hookstoroundtext；andmerepen-strokes，howeverperverse，werelessexasperatingtoBartlethanfalsearithmetic。HewasalittlemoreseverethanusualonJacobStorey’sZ’s，ofwhichpoorJacobhadwrittenapageful，allwiththeirtopsturnedthewrongway，withapuzzledsensethattheywerenotright"somehow。"Butheobservedinapology，thatitwasaletteryouneverwantedhardly，andhethoughtithadonlybeenthere"tofinishoffth’
　　alphabet，like，thoughampusand&wouldha’doneaswell，forwhathecouldsee。"
　　Atlastthepupilshadalltakentheirhatsandsaidtheir"Good-
　　nights，"andAdam，knowinghisoldmaster’shabits，roseandsaid，"ShallIputthecandlesout，Mr。Massey？"
　　"Yes，myboy，yes，allbutthis，whichI’llcarryintothehouse；
　　andjustlocktheouterdoor，nowyou’renearit，"saidBartle，gettinghisstickinthefittingangletohelphimindescendingfromhisstool。Hewasnosooneronthegroundthanitbecameobviouswhythestickwasnecessary——theleftlegwasmuchshorterthantheright。Buttheschool-masterwassoactivewithhislamenessthatitwashardlythoughtofasamisfortune；andifyouhadseenhimmakehiswayalongtheschoolroomfloor，andupthestepintohiskitchen，youwouldperhapshaveunderstoodwhythenaughtyboyssometimesfeltthathispacemightbeindefinitelyquickenedandthatheandhisstickmightovertakethemevenintheirswiftestrun。
　　Themomentheappearedatthekitchendoorwiththecandleinhishand，afaintwhimperingbeganinthechimney-corner，andabrown-
　　and-tan-colouredbitch，ofthatwise-lookingbreedwithshortlegsandlongbody，knowntoanunmechanicalgenerationasturnspits，camecreepingalongthefloor，wagginghertail，andhesitatingateveryotherstep，asifheraffectionswerepainfullydividedbetweenthehamperinthechimney-cornerandthemaster，whomshecouldnotleavewithoutagreeting。
　　"Well，Vixen，wellthen，howarethebabbies？"saidtheschoolmaster，makinghastetowardsthechimney-cornerandholdingthecandleoverthelowhamper，wheretwoextremelyblindpuppieslifteduptheirheadstowardsthelightfromanestofflannelandwool。Vixencouldnotevenseehermasterlookatthemwithoutpainfulexcitement:shegotintothehamperandgotoutagainthenextmoment，andbehavedwithtruefemininefolly，thoughlookingallthewhileaswiseasadwarfwithalargeold-fashionedheadandbodyonthemostabbreviatedlegs。
　　"Why，you’vegotafamily，Isee，Mr。Massey？"saidAdam，smiling，ashecameintothekitchen。"How’sthat？Ithoughtitwasagainstthelawhere。"
　　"Law？What’stheuseo’lawwhenaman’soncesuchafoolastoletawomanintohishouse？"saidBartle，turningawayfromthehamperwithsomebitterness。HealwayscalledVixenawoman，andseemedtohavelostallconsciousnessthathewasusingafigureofspeech。"IfI’dknownVixenwasawoman，I’dneverhaveheldtheboysfromdrowningher；butwhenI’dgotherintomyhand，I
　　wasforcedtotaketoher。Andnowyouseewhatshe’sbroughtmeto——thesly，hypocriticalwench"——Bartlespoketheselastwordsinaraspingtoneofreproach，andlookedatVixen，whopokeddownherheadandturneduphereyestowardshimwithakeensenseofopprobrium——"andcontrivedtobebroughttobedonaSundayatchurch-time。I’vewishedagainandagainI’dbeenabloodymindedman，thatIcouldhavestrangledthemotherandthebratswithonecord。"
　　"I’mgladitwasnoworseacausekeptyoufromchurch，"saidAdam。"Iwasafraidyoumustbeillforthefirsttimei’yourlife。AndIwasparticularlysorrynottohaveyouatchurchyesterday。"
　　"Ah，myboy，Iknowwhy，Iknowwhy，"saidBartlekindly，goinguptoAdamandraisinghishanduptotheshoulderthatwasalmostonalevelwithhisownhead。"You’vehadaroughbito’roadtogetoversinceIsawyou——aroughbito’road。ButI’minhopestherearebettertimescomingforyou。I’vegotsomenewstotellyou。
　　ButImustgetmysupperfirst，forI’mhungry，I’mhungry。Sitdown，sitdown。"
　　Bartelwentintohislittlepantry，andbroughtoutanexcellenthome-bakedloaf；foritwashisoneextravaganceinthesedeartimestoeatbreadoncea-dayinsteadofoat-cake；andhejustifieditbyobserving，thatwhataschoolmasterwantedwasbrains，andoat-cakerantoomuchtoboneinsteadofbrains。Thencameapieceofcheeseandaquartjugwithacrownoffoamuponit。Heplacedthemallontherounddealtablewhichstoodagainsthislargearm-chairinthechimney-corner，withVixen’shamperononesideofitandawindow-shelfwithafewbookspiledupinitontheother。ThetablewasascleanasifVixenhadbeenanexcellenthousewifeinacheckeredapron；sowasthequarryfloor；andtheoldcarvedoakenpress，table，andchairs，whichinthesedayswouldbeboughtatahighpriceinaristocratichouses，though，inthatperiodofspider-legsandinlaidcupids，Bartlehadgotthemforanoldsong，whereasfreefromdustasthingscouldbeattheendofasummer’sday。
　　"Now，then，myboy，drawup，drawup。We’llnottalkaboutbusinesstillwe’vehadoursupper。Nomancanbewiseonanemptystomach。But，"saidBartle，risingfromhischairagain，"I
　　mustgiveVixenhersuppertoo，confoundher！Thoughshe’lldonothingwithitbutnourishthoseunnecessarybabbies。That’sthewaywiththesewomen——they’vegotnohead-piecestonourish，andsotheirfoodallrunseithertofatortobrats。"
　　Hebroughtoutofthepantryadishofscraps，whichVixenatoncefixedhereyeson，andjumpedoutofherhampertolickupwiththeutmostdispatch。
　　"I’vehadmysupper，Mr。Massey，"saidAdam，"soI’lllookonwhileyoueatyours。I’vebeenattheHallFarm，andtheyalwayshavetheirsupperbetimes，youknow:theydon’tkeepyourlatehours。"
　　"Iknowlittleabouttheirhours，"saidBartledryly，cuttinghisbreadandnotshrinkingfromthecrust。"It’sahouseIseldomgointo，thoughI’mfondoftheboys，andMartinPoyser’sagoodfellow。There’stoomanywomeninthehouseforme:Ihatethesoundofwomen’svoices；they’realwayseithera-buzzora-squeak——
　　alwayseithera-buzzora-squeak。Mrs。Poyserkeepsatthetopo’thetalklikeafife；andasfortheyounglasses，I’dassoonlookatwater-grubs。Iknowwhatthey’llturnto——stinginggnats，stinginggnats。Here，takesomeale，myboy:it’sbeendrawnforyou——it’sbeendrawnforyou。"
　　"Nay，Mr。Massey，"saidAdam，whotookhisoldfriend’swhimmoreseriouslythanusualto-night，"don’tbesohardonthecreatursGodhasmadetobecompanionsforus。Aworking-man’udbebadlyoffwithoutawifetoseetoth’houseandthevictual，andmakethingscleanandcomfortable。"
　　"Nonsense！It’sthesilliestlieasensiblemanlikeyoueverbelieved，tosayawomanmakesahousecomfortable。It’sastorygotupbecausethewomenarethereandsomethingmustbefoundfor’emtodo。Itellyouthereisn’tathingunderthesunthatneedstobedoneatall，butwhatamancandobetterthanawoman，unlessit’sbearingchildren，andtheydothatinapoormake-shiftway；ithadbetterha’beenlefttothemen——ithadbetterha’beenlefttothemen。Itellyou，awoman’ullbakeyouapieeveryweekofherlifeandnevercometoseethatthehotterth’oventheshorterthetime。Itellyou，awoman’ullmakeyourporridgeeverydayfortwentyyearsandneverthinkofmeasuringtheproportionbetweenthemealandthemilk——alittlemoreorless，she’llthink，doesn’tsignify。TheporridgeWILLbeawk’ardnowandthen:ifit’swrong，it’ssummatinthemeal，orit’ssummatinthemilk，orit’ssummatinthewater。Lookatme！
　　Imakemyownbread，andthere’snodifferencebetweenonebatchandanotherfromyear’sendtoyear’send；butifI’dgotanyotherwomanbesidesVixeninthehouse，ImustpraytotheLordeverybakingtogivemepatienceifthebreadturnedoutheavy。
　　Andasforcleanliness，myhouseiscleanerthananyotherhouseontheCommon，thoughthehalfof’emswarmwithwomen。WillBaker’sladcomestohelpmeinamorning，andwegetasmuchcleaningdoneinonehour，withoutanyfuss，asawoman’udgetdoneinthree，andallthewhilebesendingbucketso’waterafteryourankles，andletthefenderandthefire-ironsstandinthemiddleo’thefloorhalfthedayforyoutobreakyourshinsagainst’em。Don’ttellmeaboutGodhavingmadesuchcreaturestobecompanionsforus！Idon’tsaybutHemightmakeEvetobeacompaniontoAdaminParadise——therewasnocookingtobespoiltthere，andnootherwomantocacklewithandmakemischief，thoughyouseewhatmischiefshedidassoonasshe’danopportunity。
　　Butit’sanimpious，unscripturalopiniontosayawoman’sablessingtoamannow；youmightaswellsayaddersandwasps，andfoxesandwildbeastsareablessing，whenthey’reonlytheevilsthatbelongtothisstateo’probation，whichit’slawfulforamantokeepasclearofashecaninthislife，hopingtogetquitof’emforeverinanother——hopingtogetquitof’emforeverinanother。"
　　Bartlehadbecomesoexcitedandangryinthecourseofhisinvectivethathehadforgottenhissupper，andonlyusedtheknifeforthepurposeofrappingthetablewiththehaft。Buttowardstheclose，therapsbecamesosharpandfrequent，andhisvoicesoquarrelsome，thatVixenfeltitincumbentonhertojumpoutofthehamperandbarkvaguely。
　　"Quiet，Vixen！"snarledBartle，turningrounduponher。"You’reliketheresto’thewomen——alwaysputtinginyourwordbeforeyouknowwhy。"
　　Vixenreturnedtoherhamperagaininhumiliation，andhermastercontinuedhissupperinasilencewhichAdamdidnotchoosetointerrupt；heknewtheoldmanwouldbeinabetterhumourwhenhehadhadhissupperandlightedhispipe。Adamwasusedtohearhimtalkinthisway，buthadneverlearnedsomuchofBartle’spastlifeastoknowwhetherhisviewofmarriedcomfortwasfoundedonexperience。OnthatpointBartlewasmute，anditwasevenasecretwherehehadlivedprevioustothetwentyyearsinwhichhappilyforthepeasantsandartisansofthisneighbourhoodhehadbeensettledamongthemastheironlyschoolmaster。Ifanythinglikeaquestionwasventuredonthissubject，Bartlealwaysreplied，"Oh，I’veseenmanyplaces——I’vebeenadealinthesouth，"andtheLoamshiremenwouldassoonhavethoughtofaskingforaparticulartownorvillageinAfricaasin"thesouth。"
　　"Nowthen，myboy，"saidBartle，atlast，whenhehadpouredouthissecondmugofaleandlightedhispipe，"nowthen，we’llhavealittletalk。Buttellmefirst，haveyouheardanyparticularnewsto-day？"
　　"No，"saidAdam，"notasIremember。"
　　"Ah，they’llkeepitclose，they’llkeepitclose，Idaresay。ButIfounditoutbychance；andit’snewsthatmayconcernyou，Adam，elseI’mamanthatdon’tknowasuperficialsquarefootfromasolid。"
　　HereBartlegaveaseriesoffierceandrapidpuffs，lookingearnestlythewhileatAdam。Yourimpatientloquaciousmanhasneveranynotionofkeepinghispipealightbygentlemeasuredpuffs；heisalwayslettingitgonearlyout，andthenpunishingitforthatnegligence。Atlasthesaid，"Satchell’sgotaparalyticstroke。IfounditoutfromtheladtheysenttoTreddlestonforthedoctor，beforeseveno’clockthismorning。
　　He’sagoodwaybeyondsixty，youknow；it’smuchifhegetsoverit。"
　　"Well，"saidAdam，"Idaresaythere’dbemorerejoicingthansorrowintheparishathisbeinglaidup。He’sbeenaselfish，tale-bearing，mischievousfellow；but，afterall，there’snobodyhe’sdonesomuchharmtoastoth’oldsquire。Thoughit’sthesquirehimselfasistoblame——makingastupidfellowlikethatasorto’man-of-all-work，justtosaveth’expenseofhavingaproperstewardtolookafterth’estate。Andhe’slostmorebyillmanagemento’thewoods，I’llbebound，than’udpayfortwostewards。Ifhe’slaidontheshelf，it’stobehopedhe’llmakewayforabetterman，butIdon’tseehowit’sliketomakeanydifferencetome。"
　　"ButIseeit，butIseeit，"saidBartle，"andothersbesidesme。
　　Thecaptain’scomingofagenow——youknowthataswellasIdo——
　　andit’stobeexpectedhe’llhavealittlemorevoiceinthings。
　　AndIknow，andyouknowtoo，what’udbethecaptain’swishaboutthewoods，iftherewasafairopportunityformakingachange。
　　He’ssaidinplentyofpeople’shearingthathe’dmakeyoumanagerofthewoodsto-morrow，ifhe’dthepower。Why，Carroll，Mr。
　　Irwine’sbutler，heardhimsaysototheparsonnotmanydaysago。
　　Carrolllookedinwhenweweresmokingourpipeso’SaturdaynightatCasson’s，andhetoldusaboutit；andwheneveranybodysaysagoodwordforyou，theparson’sreadytobackit，thatI’llanswerfor。Itwasprettywelltalkedover，Icantellyou，atCasson’s，andoneandanotherhadtheirflingatyou；forifdonkeyssettoworktosing，you’reprettysurewhatthetune’llbe。"
　　"Why，didtheytalkitoverbeforeMr。Burge？"saidAdam；"orwasn’thethereo’Saturday？"
　　"Oh，hewentawaybeforeCarrollcame；andCasson——he’salwaysforsettingotherfolksright，youknow——wouldhaveitBurgewasthemantohavethemanagementofthewoods。’Asubstantialman，’
　　sayshe，’withprettynearsixtyyears’experienceo’timber:it’udbeallverywellforAdamBedetoactunderhim，butitisn’ttobesupposedthesquire’udappointayoungfellowlikeAdam，whenthere’shiseldersandbettersathand！’ButIsaid，’That’saprettynotiono’yours，Casson。Why，Burgeisthemantobuytimber；wouldyouputthewoodsintohishandsandlethimmakehisownbargains？Ithinkyoudon’tleaveyourcustomerstoscoretheirowndrink，doyou？Andasforage，whatthat’sworthdependsonthequalityo’theliquor。It’sprettywellknownwho’sthebackboneofJonathanBurge’sbusiness。’"
　　"Ithankyouforyourgoodword，Mr。Massey，"saidAdam。"But，forallthat，Cassonwaspartlyi’therightforonce。There’snotmuchlikelihoodthatth’oldsquire’udeverconsentt’employme。Ioffendedhimabouttwoyearsago，andhe’sneverforgivenme。"
　　"Why，howwasthat？Younevertoldmeaboutit，"saidBartle。
　　"Oh，itwasabito’nonsense。I’dmadeaframeforascreenforMissLyddy——she’sallaysmakingsomethingwithherworsted-work，youknow——andshe’dgivenmeparticularordersaboutthisscreen，andtherewasasmuchtalkingandmeasuringasifwe’dbeenplanningahouse。However，itwasanicebito’work，andIlikeddoingitforher。But，youknow，thoselittlefrigglingthingstakeadealo’time。Ionlyworkedatitinoverhours——oftenlateatnight——andIhadtogotoTreddlestonoveran’overagainaboutlittlebitso’brassnailsandsuchgear；andIturnedthelittleknobsandthelegs，andcarvedth’openwork，afterapattern，asniceascouldbe。AndIwasuncommonpleasedwithitwhenitwasdone。AndwhenItookithome，MissLyddysentformetobringitintoherdrawing-room，soasshemightgivemedirectionsaboutfasteningonthework——veryfineneedlework，JacobandRachela-
　　kissingoneanotheramongthesheep，likeapicture——andth’oldsquirewassittingthere，forhemostlysitswithher。Well，shewasmightypleasedwiththescreen，andthenshewantedtoknowwhatpayshewastogiveme。Ididn’tspeakatrandom——youknowit’snotmyway；I’dcalculatedprettyclose，thoughIhadn’tmadeoutabill，andIsaid，’Onepoundthirty。’Thatwaspayingforthemater’alsandpayingme，butnonetoomuch，formywork。Th’
　　oldsquirelookedupatthis，andpeeredinhiswayatthescreen，andsaid，’Onepoundthirteenforagimcracklikethat！Lydia，mydear，ifyoumustspendmoneyonthesethings，whydon’tyougetthematRosseter，insteadofpayingdoublepriceforclumsyworkhere？SuchthingsarenotworkforacarpenterlikeAdam。Givehimaguinea，andnomore。’Well，MissLyddy，Ireckon，believedwhathetoldher，andshe’snotoverfondo’partingwiththemoneyherself——she’snotabadwomanatbottom，butshe’sbeenbroughtupunderhisthumb；soshebeganfidgetingwithherpurse，andturnedasredasherribbon。ButImadeabow，andsaid，’No，thankyou，madam；I’llmakeyouapresento’thescreen，ifyouplease。I’vechargedtheregularpriceformywork，andIknowit’sdonewell；andIknow，beggingHisHonour’spardon，thatyoucouldn’tgetsuchascreenatRosseterundertwoguineas。I’mwillingtogiveyoumywork——it’sbeendoneinmyowntime，andnobody’sgotanythingtodowithitbutme；butifI’mpaid，I
　　can’ttakeasmallerpricethanIasked，becausethat’udbelikesayingI’daskedmorethanwasjust。Withyourleave，madam，I’llbidyougood-morning。’Imademybowandwentoutbeforeshe’dtimetosayanymore，forshestoodwiththepurseinherhand，lookingalmostfoolish。Ididn’tmeantobedisrespectful，andI
　　spokeaspoliteasIcould；butIcangiveintonoman，ifhewantstomakeitoutasI’mtryingtooverreachhim。Andintheeveningthefootmanbroughtmetheonepoundthirteenwrappedinpaper。ButsincethenI’veseenprettyclearasth’oldsquirecan’tabideme。"
　　"That’slikelyenough，that’slikelyenough，"saidBartlemeditatively。"Theonlywaytobringhimroundwouldbetoshowhimwhatwasforhisowninterest，andthatthecaptainmaydo——
　　thatthecaptainmaydo。"
　　"Nay，Idon’tknow，"saidAdam；"thesquire’s’cuteenoughbutittakessomethingelsebesides’cutenesstomakefolksseewhat’llbetheirinterestinthelongrun。Ittakessomeconscienceandbeliefinrightandwrong，Iseethatprettyclear。You’dhardlyeverbringroundth’oldsquiretobelievehe’dgainasmuchinastraightfor’ardwayasbytricksandturns。And，besides，I’venotmuchmindtoworkunderhim:Idon’twanttoquarrelwithanygentleman，moreparticularanoldgentlemanturnedeighty，andI
　　knowwecouldn’tagreelong。Ifthecaptainwasmastero’th’
　　estate，it’udbedifferent:he’sgotaconscienceandawilltodoright，andI’dsoonerworkforhimnorforanymanliving。"
　　"Well，well，myboy，ifgoodluckknocksatyourdoor，don’tyouputyourheadoutatwindowandtellittobegoneaboutitsbusiness，that’sall。Youmustlearntodealwithoddandeveninlife，aswellasinfigures。Itellyounow，asItoldyoutenyearsago，whenyoupommelledyoungMikeHoldsworthforwantingtopassabadshillingbeforeyouknewwhetherhewasinjestorearnest——you’reoverhastyandproud，andapttosetyourteethagainstfolksthatdon’tsquaretoyournotions。It’snoharmformetobeabitfieryandstiff-backed——I’manoldschoolmaster，andshallneverwanttogetontoahigherperch。Butwhere’stheuseofallthetimeI’vespentinteachingyouwritingandmappingandmensuration，ifyou’renottogetfor’ardintheworldandshowfolksthere’ssomeadvantageinhavingaheadonyourshoulders，insteadofaturnip？Doyoumeantogoonturningupyournoseateveryopportunitybecauseit’sgotabitofasmellaboutitthatnobodyfindsoutbutyourself？It’sasfoolishasthatnotiono’yoursthatawifeistomakeaworking-mancomfortable。Stuffandnonsense！Stuffandnonsense！Leavethattofoolsthatnevergotbeyondasuminsimpleaddition。Simpleadditionenough！Addonefooltoanotherfool，andinsixyears’
　　timesixfoolsmore——they’reallofthesamedenomination，bigandlittle’snothingtodowiththesum！"
　　Duringthisratherheatedexhortationtocoolnessanddiscretionthepipehadgoneout，andBartlegavetheclimaxtohisspeechbystrikingalightfuriously，afterwhichhepuffedwithfierceresolution，fixinghiseyestillonAdam，whowastryingnottolaugh。
　　"There’sagooddealo’senseinwhatyousay，Mr。Massey，"Adambegan，assoonashefeltquiteserious，"astherealwaysis。Butyou’llgiveinthatit’snobusinesso’minetobebuildingonchancesthatmayneverhappen。WhatI’vegottodoistoworkaswellasIcanwiththetoolsandmater’alsI’vegotinmyhands。
　　Ifagoodchancecomestome，I’llthinko’whatyou’vebeensaying；buttillthen，I’vegotnothingtodobuttotrusttomyownhandsandmyownhead-piece。I’mturningoveralittleplanforSethandmetogointothecabinet-makingabitbyourselves，andwinaextrapoundortwointhatway。Butit’sgettinglatenow——it’llbeprettynearelevenbeforeI’mathome，andMothermayhappentolieawake；she’smorefidgetynorusualnow。SoI’llbidyougood-night。"
　　"Well，well，we’llgotothegatewithyou——it’safinenight，"
　　saidBartle，takinguphisstick。Vixenwasatonceonherlegs，andwithoutfurtherwordsthethreewalkedoutintothestarlight，bythesideofBartle’spotato-beds，tothelittlegate。
　　"Cometothemusico’Fridaynight，ifyoucan，myboy，"saidtheoldman，asheclosedthegateafterAdamandleanedagainstit。
　　"Aye，aye，"saidAdam，stridingalongtowardsthestreakofpaleroad。Hewastheonlyobjectmovingonthewidecommon。Thetwogreydonkeys，justvisibleinfrontofthegorsebushes，stoodasstillaslimestoneimages——asstillasthegrey-thatchedroofofthemudcottagealittlefartheron。Bartlekepthiseyeonthemovingfiguretillitpassedintothedarkness，whileVixen，inastateofdividedaffection，hadtwicerunbacktothehousetobestowaparentheticlickonherpuppies。
　　"Aye，aye，"mutteredtheschoolmaster，asAdamdisappeared，"thereyougo，stalkingalong——stalkingalong；butyouwouldn’thavebeenwhatyouareifyouhadn’thadabitofoldlameBartleinsideyou。Thestrongestcalfmusthavesomethingtosuckat。There’splentyofthesebig，lumberingfellows’udneverhaveknowntheirABCifithadn’tbeenforBartleMassey。Well，well，Vixen，youfoolishwench，whatisit，whatisit？Imustgoin，mustI？
　　Aye，aye，I’mnevertohaveawillo’myownanymore。Andthosepups——whatdoyouthinkI’mtodowith’em，whenthey’retwiceasbigasyou？ForI’mprettysurethefatherwasthathulkingbull-
　　terrierofWillBaker’s——wasn’thenow，eh，youslyhussy？"
　　HereVixentuckedhertailbetweenherlegsandranforwardintothehouse。Subjectsaresometimesbroachedwhichawell-bredfemalewillignore。
　　"Butwhere’stheuseoftalkingtoawomanwithbabbies？"
　　continuedBartle。"She’sgotnoconscience——noconscience；it’sallruntomilk。"
　　BookThreeChapterXXII
　　GoingtotheBirthdayFeastTHEthirtiethofJulywascome，anditwasoneofthosehalf-dozenwarmdayswhichsometimesoccurinthemiddleofarainyEnglishsummer。Norainhadfallenforthelastthreeorfourdays，andtheweatherwasperfectforthattimeoftheyear:therewaslessdustthanusualonthedark-greenhedge-rowsandonthewildcamomilethatstarredtheroadside，yetthegrasswasdryenoughforthelittlechildrentorollonit，andtherewasnocloudbutalongdashoflight，downyripple，high，highupinthefar-offbluesky。PerfectweatherforanoutdoorJulymerry-making，yetsurelynotthebesttimeofyeartobebornin。Natureseemstomakeahotpausejustthen:alltheloveliestflowersaregone；
　　thesweettimeofearlygrowthandvaguehopesispast；andyetthetimeofharvestandingatheringisnotcome，andwetrembleatthepossiblestormsthatmayruinthepreciousfruitinthemomentofitsripeness。Thewoodsareallonedarkmonotonousgreen；thewaggon-loadsofhaynolongercreepalongthelanes，scatteringtheirsweet-smellingfragmentsontheblackberrybranches；thepasturesareoftenalittletanned，yetthecornhasnotgotitslastsplendourofredandgold；thelambsandcalveshavelostalltracesoftheirinnocentfriskyprettiness，andhavebecomestupidyoungsheepandcows。Butitisatimeofleisureonthefarm——
　　thatpausebetweenhay-andcorn-harvest，andsothefarmersandlabourersinHayslopeandBroxtonthoughtthecaptaindidwelltocomeofagejustthen，whentheycouldgivetheirundividedmindstotheflavourofthegreatcaskofalewhichhadbeenbrewedtheautumnafter"theheir"wasborn，andwastobetappedonhistwenty-firstbirthday。Theairhadbeenmerrywiththeringingofchurch-bellsveryearlythismorning，andeveryonehadmadehastetogetthroughtheneedfulworkbeforetwelve，whenitwouldbetimetothinkofgettingreadytogototheChase。
　　ThemiddaysunwasstreamingintoHetty’sbedchamber，andtherewasnoblindtotempertheheatwithwhichitfellonherheadasshelookedatherselfintheoldspeckedglass。Still，thatwastheonlyglassshehadinwhichshecouldseeherneckandarms，forthesmallhangingglassshehadfetchedoutofthenextroom——
　　theroomthathadbeenDinah’s——wouldshowhernothingbelowherlittlechin；andthatbeautifulbitofneckwheretheroundnessofhercheekmeltedintoanotherroundnessshadowedbydarkdelicatecurls。Andto-dayshethoughtmorethanusualaboutherneckandarms；foratthedancethiseveningshewasnottowearanyneckerchief，andshehadbeenbusyyesterdaywithherspottedpink-and-whitefrock，thatshemightmakethesleeveseitherlongorshortatwill。Shewasdressednowjustasshewastobeintheevening，withatuckermadeof"real"lace，whichheraunthadlentherforthisunparalleledoccasion，butwithnoornamentsbesides；shehadeventakenouthersmallroundear-ringswhichsheworeeveryday。Buttherewassomethingmoretobedone，apparently，beforesheputonherneckerchiefandlongsleeves，whichshewastowearintheday-time，fornowsheunlockedthedrawerthatheldherprivatetreasures。Itismorethanamonthsincewesawherunlockthatdrawerbefore，andnowitholdsnewtreasures，somuchmorepreciousthantheoldonesthatthesearethrustintothecorner。Hettywouldnotcaretoputthelargecolouredglassear-ringsintoherearsnow；forsee！shehasgotabeautifulpairofgoldandpearlsandgarnet，lyingsnuglyinaprettylittleboxlinedwithwhitesatin。Oh，thedelightoftakingoutthatlittleboxandlookingattheear-rings！Donotreasonaboutit，myphilosphicalreader，andsaythatHetty，beingverypretty，musthaveknownthatitdidnotsignifywhethershehadonanyornamentsornot；andthat，moreover，tolookatear-
　　ringswhichshecouldnotpossiblywearoutofherbedroomcouldhardlybeasatisfaction，theessenceofvanitybeingareferencetotheimpressionsproducedonothers；youwillneverunderstandwomen’snaturesifyouaresoexcessivelyrational。Tryrathertodivestyourselfofallyourrationalprejudices，asmuchasifyouwerestudyingthepsychologyofacanarybird，andonlywatchthemovementsofthisprettyroundcreatureassheturnsherheadononesidewithanunconscioussmileattheear-ringsnestledinthelittlebox。Ah，youthink，itisforthesakeofthepersonwhohasgiventhemtoher，andherthoughtsaregonebacknowtothemomentwhentheywereputintoherhands。No；elsewhyshouldshehavecaredtohaveear-ringsratherthananythingelse？AndI
　　knowthatshehadlongedforear-ringsfromamongalltheornamentsshecouldimagine。
　　"Little，littleears！"Arthurhadsaid，pretendingtopinchthemoneevening，asHettysatbesidehimonthegrasswithoutherhat。
　　"IwishIhadsomeprettyear-rings！"shesaidinamoment，almostbeforesheknewwhatshewassaying——thewishlaysoclosetoherlips，itWOULDflutterpastthemattheslightestbreath。Andthenextday——itwasonlylastweek——ArthurhadriddenovertoRosseteronpurposetobuythem。Thatlittlewishsonaivelyutteredseemedtohimtheprettiestbitofchildishness；hehadneverheardanythinglikeitbefore；andhehadwrappedtheboxupinagreatmanycovers，thathemightseeHettyunwrappingitwithgrowingcuriosity，tillatlasthereyesflashedbacktheirnewdelightintohis。
　　No，shewasnotthinkingmostofthegiverwhenshesmiledattheear-rings，fornowsheistakingthemoutofthebox，nottopressthemtoherlips，buttofastentheminherears——onlyforonemoment，toseehowprettytheylook，asshepeepsatthemintheglassagainstthewall，withfirstonepositionoftheheadandthenanother，likealisteningbird。Itisimpossibletobewiseonthesubjectofear-ringsasonelooksather；whatshouldthosedelicatepearlsandcrystalsbemadefor，ifnotforsuchears？
　　Onecannotevenfindfaultwiththetinyroundholewhichtheyleavewhentheyaretakenout；perhapswater-nixies，andsuchlovelythingswithoutsouls，havetheselittleroundholesintheirearsbynature，readytohangjewelsin。AndHettymustbeoneofthem:itistoopainfultothinkthatsheisawoman，withawoman’sdestinybeforeher——awomanspinninginyoungignorancealightweboffollyandvainhopeswhichmayonedaycloseroundherandpressuponher，arancorouspoisonedgarment，changingallatonceherfluttering，trivialbutterflysensationsintoalifeofdeephumananguish。
　　Butshecannotkeepintheear-ringslong，elseshemaymakeheruncleandauntwait。Sheputsthemquicklyintotheboxagainandshutsthemup。Somedayshewillbeabletowearanyear-ringsshelikes，andalreadyshelivesinaninvisibleworldofbrilliantcostumes，shimmeringgauze，softsatin，andvelvet，suchasthelady’smaidattheChasehasshownherinMissLydia’swardrobe。Shefeelsthebraceletsonherarms，andtreadsonasoftcarpetinfrontofatallmirror。Butshehasonethinginthedrawerwhichshecanventuretowearto-day，becauseshecanhangitonthechainofdark-brownberrieswhichshehasbeenusedtowearongranddays，withatinyflatscent-bottleattheendofittuckedinsideherfrock；andshemustputonherbrownberries——
　　herneckwouldlooksounfinishedwithoutit。Hettywasnotquiteasfondofthelocketasoftheear-rings，thoughitwasahandsomelargelocket，withenamelledflowersatthebackandabeautifulgoldborderroundtheglass，whichshowedalight-brownslightlywavinglock，formingabackgroundfortwolittledarkrings。Shemustkeepitunderherclothes，andnoonewouldseeit。ButHettyhadanotherpassion，onlyalittlelessstrongthanherloveoffinery，andthatotherpassionmadeherliketowearthelocketevenhiddeninherbosom。Shewouldalwayshavewornit，ifshehaddaredtoencounterheraunt’squestionsaboutaribbonroundherneck。Sonowsheslippeditonalongherchainofdark-brownberries，andsnappedthechainroundherneck。Itwasnotaverylongchain，onlyallowingthelockettohangalittlewaybelowtheedgeofherfrock。Andnowshehadnothingtodobuttoputonherlongsleeves，hernewwhitegauzeneckerchief，andherstrawhattrimmedwithwhiteto-dayinsteadofthepink，whichhadbecomeratherfadedundertheJulysun。
　　ThathatmadethedropofbitternessinHetty’scupto-day，foritwasnotquitenew——everybodywouldseethatitwasalittletannedagainstthewhiteribbon——andMaryBurge，shefeltsure，wouldhaveanewhatorbonneton。Shelookedforconsolationatherfinewhitecottonstockings:theyreallywereveryniceindeed，andshehadgivenalmostallhersparemoneyforthem。Hetty’sdreamofthefuturecouldnotmakeherinsensibletotriumphinthepresent。Tobesure，CaptainDonnithornelovedhersothathewouldnevercareaboutlookingatotherpeople，butthenthoseotherpeopledidn’tknowhowhelovedher，andshewasnotsatisfiedtoappearshabbyandinsignificantintheireyesevenforashortspace。
　　Thewholepartywasassembledinthehouse-placewhenHettywentdown，allofcourseintheirSundayclothes；andthebellshadbeenringingsothismorninginhonourofthecaptain’stwenty-
　　firstbirthday，andtheworkhadallbeengotdonesoearly，thatMartyandTommywerenotquiteeasyintheirmindsuntiltheirmotherhadassuredthemthatgoingtochurchwasnotpartoftheday’sfestivities。Mr。Poyserhadoncesuggestedthatthehouseshouldbeshutupandlefttotakecareofitself；"for，"saidhe，"there’snodangerofanybody’sbreakingin——everybody’llbeattheChase，thievesan’all。Ifwelockth’houseup，allthemencango:it’sadaytheywonnaseetwicei’theirlives。"ButMrs。Poyseransweredwithgreatdecision:"IneverleftthehousetotakecareofitselfsinceIwasamissis，andIneverwill。
　　There’sbeenill-lookingtrampsenoo’abouttheplacethislastweek，tocarryoffeveryhaman’everyspoonwe’ngot；andtheyallcolloguetogether，themtramps，asit’samercytheyhannacomeandpoisonedthedogsandmurderedusallinourbedsaforeweknowed，someFridaynightwhenwe’ngotthemoneyinth’housetopaythemen。Andit’slikeenoughthetrampsknowwherewe’regoingaswellaswedooursens；forifOldHarrywantsanyworkdone，youmaybesurehe’llfindthemeans。"
　　"Nonsenseaboutmurderingusinourbeds，"saidMr。Poyser；"I’vegotaguni’ourroom，hannaI？andthee’stgotearsas’udfinditoutifamousewasgnawingthebacon。Howiver，iftheewouldstnabeeasy，Alickcanstayathomei’theforeparto’theday，andTimcancomebacktow’rdsfiveo’clock，andletAlickhavehisturn。TheymayletGrowlerlooseifanybodyofferstodomischief，andthere’sAlick’sdogtoo，readyenoughtosethistoothinatrampifAlickgiveshimawink。"
　　Mrs。Poyseracceptedthiscompromise，butthoughtitadvisabletobarandbolttotheutmost；andnow，atthelastmomentbeforestarting，Nancy，thedairy-maid，wasclosingtheshuttersofthehouse-place，althoughthewindow，lyingundertheimmediateobservationofAlickandthedogs，mighthavebeensupposedtheleastlikelytobeselectedforaburglariousattempt。
　　Thecoveredcart，withoutsprings，wasstandingreadytocarrythewholefamilyexceptthemen-servants。Mr。Poyserandthegrandfathersatontheseatinfront，andwithintherewasroomforallthewomenandchildren；thefullerthecartthebetter，becausethenthejoltingwouldnothurtsomuch，andNancy’sbroadpersonandthickarmswereanexcellentcushiontobepitchedon。
　　ButMr。Poyserdroveatnomorethanawalkingpace，thattheremightbeaslittleriskofjoltingaspossibleonthiswarmday，andtherewastimetoexchangegreetingsandremarkswiththefoot-passengerswhoweregoingthesameway，speckingthepathsbetweenthegreenmeadowsandthegoldencornfieldswithbitsofmovablebrightcolour——ascarletwaistcoattomatchthepoppiesthatnoddedalittletoothicklyamongthecorn，oradark-blueneckerchiefwithendsflauntingacrossabrand-newwhitesmock-
　　frock。AllBroxtonandallHayslopeweretobeattheChase，andmakemerrythereinhonourof"th’heir"；andtheoldmenandwomen，whohadneverbeensofardownthissideofthehillforthelasttwentyyears，werebeingbroughtfromBroxtonandHayslopeinoneofthefarmer’swaggons，atMr。Irwine’ssuggestion。Thechurch-bellshadstruckupagainnow——alasttune，beforetheringerscamedownthehilltohavetheirshareinthefestival；andbeforethebellshadfinished，othermusicwasheardapproaching，sothatevenOldBrown，thesoberhorsethatwasdrawingMr。Poyser’scart，begantoprickuphisears。ItwasthebandoftheBenefitClub，whichhadmusteredinallitsglory——
　　thatistosay，inbright-bluescarfsandbluefavours，andcarryingitsbannerwiththemotto，"Letbrotherlylovecontinue，"
　　encirclingapictureofastone-pit。
　　Thecarts，ofcourse，werenottoentertheChase。Everyonemustgetdownatthelodges，andthevehiclesmustbesentback。
　　"Why，theChaseislikeafaira’ready，"saidMrs。Poyser，asshegotdownfromthecart，andsawthegroupsscatteredunderthegreatoaks，andtheboysrunningaboutinthehotsunshinetosurveythetallpolessurmountedbytheflutteringgarmentsthatweretobetheprizeofthesuccessfulclimbers。"Ishouldha’
　　thoughttherewasnasomanypeoplei’thetwoparishes。Mercyonus！Howhotitisouto’theshade！Comehere，Totty，elseyourlittleface’ullbeburnttoascratchin’！Theymightha’cookedthedinnersi’thatopenspacean’savedthefires。IshallgotoMrs。Best’srooman’sitdown。"
　　"Stopabit，stopabit，"saidMr。Poyser。"There’sth’waggincomingwi’th’oldfolksin’t；it’llbesuchasightaswonnacomeo’eragain，tosee’emgetdownan’walkalongalltogether。Youremembersomeon’emi’theirprime，eh，Father？"
　　"Aye，aye，"saidoldMartin，walkingslowlyundertheshadeofthelodgeporch，fromwhichhecouldseetheagedpartydescend。"I
　　rememberJacobTaftwalkingfiftymileaftertheScotchraybels，whentheyturnedbackfromStoniton。"
　　Hefelthimselfquiteayoungster，withalonglifebeforehim，ashesawtheHayslopepatriarch，oldFeytherTaft，descendfromthewaggonandwalktowardshim，inhisbrownnigbtcap，andleaningonhistwosticks。
　　"Well，MesterTaft，"shoutedoldMartin，attheutmoststretchofhisvoice——forthoughheknewtheoldmanwasstonedeaf，hecouldnotomittheproprietyofagreeting——"you’reheartyyet。Youcanenjoyyoursento-day，for-allyou’reninetyan’better。"
　　"Yoursarvant，mesters，yoursarvant，"saidFeytherTaftinatrebletone，perceivingthathewasincompany。
　　Theagedgroup，undercareofsonsordaughters，themselveswornandgrey，passedonalongtheleast-windingcarriage-roadtowardsthehouse，whereaspecialtablewaspreparedforthem；whilethePoyserpartywiselystruckacrossthegrassundertheshadeofthegreattrees，butnotoutofviewofthehouse-front，withitsslopinglawnandflower-beds，oroftheprettystripedmarqueeattheedgeofthelawn，standingatrightangleswithtwolargermarqueesoneachsideoftheopengreenspacewherethegamesweretobeplayed。ThehousewouldhavebeennothingbutaplainsquaremansionofQueenAnne’stime，butfortheremnantofanoldabbeytowhichitwasunitedatoneend，inmuchthesamewayasonemaysometimesseeanewfarmhouserisinghighandprimattheendofolderandlowerfarm-offices。Thefineoldremnantstoodalittlebackwardandundertheshadowoftallbeeches，butthesunwasnowonthetallerandmoreadvancedfront，theblindswerealldown，andthehouseseemedasleepinthehotmidday。ItmadeHettyquitesadtolookatit:Arthurmustbesomewhereinthebackrooms，withthegrandcompany，wherehecouldnotpossiblyknowthatshewascome，andsheshouldnotseehimforalong，longwhile——nottillafterdinner，whentheysaidhewastocomeupandmakeaspeech。
　　ButHettywaswronginpartofherconjecture。NograndcompanywascomeexcepttheIrwines，forwhomthecarriagehadbeensentearly，andArthurwasatthatmomentnotinabackroom，butwalkingwiththerectorintothebroadstonecloistersoftheoldabbey，wherethelongtableswerelaidforallthecottagetenantsandthefarm-servants。AveryhandsomeyoungBritonhelookedto-
　　day，inhighspiritsandabright-bluefrock-coat，thehighestmode——hisarmnolongerinasling。Soopen-lookingandcandid，too；butcandidpeoplehavetheirsecrets，andsecretsleavenolinesinyoungfaces。
　　"Uponmyword，"hesaid，astheyenteredthecoolcloisters，"I
　　thinkthecottagershavethebestofit:thesecloistersmakeadelightfuldining-roomonahotday。Thatwascapitaladviceofyours，Irwine，aboutthedinners——toletthembeasorderlyandcomfortableaspossible，andonlyforthetenants:especiallyasIhadonlyalimitedsumafterall；forthoughmygrandfathertalkedofacarteblanche，hecouldn’tmakeuphismindtotrustme，whenitcametothepoint。"
　　"Nevermind，you’llgivemorepleasureinthisquietway，"saidMr。Irwine。"Inthissortofthingpeopleareconstantlyconfoundingliberalitywithriotanddisorder。Itsoundsverygrandtosaythatsomanysheepandoxenwereroastedwhole，andeverybodyatewholikedtocome；butintheenditgenerallyhappensthatnoonehashadanenjoyablemeal。Ifthepeoplegetagooddinnerandamoderatequantityofaleinthemiddleoftheday，they’llbeabletoenjoythegamesasthedaycools。Youcan’thindersomeofthemfromgettingtoomuchtowardsevening，butdrunkennessanddarknessgobettertogetherthandrunkennessanddaylight。"
　　"Well，Ihopetherewon’tbemuchofit。I’vekepttheTreddlestonpeopleawaybyhavingafeastfortheminthetown；
　　andI’vegotCassonandAdamBedeandsomeothergoodfellowstolooktothegivingoutofaleinthebooths，andtotakecarethingsdon’tgotoofar。Come，letusgoupabovenowandseethedinner-tablesforthelargetenants。"
　　Theywentupthestonestaircaseleadingsimplytothelonggalleryabovethecloisters，agallerywhereallthedustyworthlessoldpictureshadbeenbanishedforthelastthreegenerations——mouldyportraitsofQueenElizabethandherladies，GeneralMonkwithhiseyeknockedout，Danielverymuchinthedarkamongthelions，andJuliusCaesaronhorseback，withahighnoseandlaurelcrown，holdinghisCommentariesinhishand。
　　"Whatacapitalthingitisthattheysavedthispieceoftheoldabbey！"saidArthur。"IfI’mevermasterhere，Ishalldoupthegalleryinfirst-ratestyle。We’vegotnoroominthehouseathirdaslargeasthis。Thatsecondtableisforthefarmers’
　　wivesandchildren:Mrs。Bestsaiditwouldbemorecomfortableforthemothersandchildrentobebythemselves。Iwasdeterminedtohavethechildren，andmakearegularfamilythingofit。Ishallbe’theoldsquire’tothoselittleladsandlassessomeday，andthey’lltelltheirchildrenwhatamuchfineryoungfellowIwasthanmyownson。There’satableforthewomenandchildrenbelowaswell。Butyouwillseethemall——youwillcomeupwithmeafterdinner，Ihope？"
　　"Yes，tobesure，"saidMr。Irwine。"Iwouldn’tmissyourmaidenspeechtothetenantry。"
　　"Andtherewillbesomethingelseyou’llliketohear，"saidArthur。"LetusgointothelibraryandI’lltellyouallaboutitwhilemygrandfatherisinthedrawing-roomwiththeladies。
　　Somethingthatwillsurpsiseyou，"hecontinued，astheysatdown。
　　"Mygrandfatherhascomeroundafterall。"
　　"What，aboutAdam？"
　　"Yes；Ishouldhaveriddenovertotellyouaboutit，onlyIwassobusy。YouknowItoldyouIhadquitegivenuparguingthematterwithhim——Ithoughtitwashopeless——butyesterdaymorningheaskedmetocomeinheretohimbeforeIwentout，andastonishedmebysayingthathehaddecidedonallthenewarrangementsheshouldmakeinconsequenceofoldSatchellbeingobligedtolaybywork，andthatheintendedtoemployAdaminsuperintendingthewoodsatasalaryofaguineaa-week，andtheuseofaponytobekepthere。Ibelievethesecretofitis，hesawfromthefirstitwouldbeaprofitableplan，buthehadsomeparticulardislikeofAdamtogetover——andbesides，thefactthatIproposeathingisgenerallyareasonwithhimforrejectingit。
　　There’sthemostcuriouscontradictioninmygrandfather:Iknowhemeanstoleavemeallthemoneyhehassaved，andheislikelyenoughtohavecutoffpoorAuntLydia，whohasbeenaslavetohimallherlife，withonlyfivehundreda-year，forthesakeofgivingmeallthemore；andyetIsometimesthinkhepositivelyhatesmebecauseI’mhisheir。IbelieveifIweretobreakmyneck，hewouldfeelitthegreatestmisfortunethatcouldbefallhim，andyetitseemsapleasuretohimtomakemylifeaseriesofpettyannoyances。"
　　"Ah，myboy，itisnotonlywoman’slovethatis[twogreekwordsomitted]asoldAEschyluscallsit。There’splentyof’unlovinglove’intheworldofamasculinekind。ButtellmeaboutAdam。
　　Hasheacceptedthepost？Idon’tseethatitcanbemuchmoreprofitablethanhispresentwork，though，tobesure，itwillleavehimagooddealoftimeonhisownhands。
　　"Well，IfeltsomedoubtaboutitwhenIspoketohimandheseemedtohesitateatfirst。Hisobjectionwasthathethoughtheshouldnotbeabletosatisfymygrandfather。ButIbeggedhimasapersonalfavourtomenottoletanyreasonpreventhimfromacceptingtheplace，ifhereallylikedtheemploymentandwouldnotbegivingupanythingthatwasmoreprofitabletohim。Andheassuredmeheshouldlikeitofallthings——itwouldbeagreatstepforwardforhiminbusiness，anditwouldenablehimtodowhathehadlongwishedtodo，togiveupworkingforBurge。Hesaysheshallhaveplentyoftimetosuperintendalittlebusinessofhisown，whichheandSethwillcarryon，andwillperhapsbeabletoenlargebydegrees。Sohehasagreedatlast，andIhavearrangedthatheshalldinewiththelargetenantsto-day；andI
　　meantoannouncetheappointmenttothem，andaskthemtodrinkAdam’shealth。It’salittledramaI’vegotupinhonourofmyfriendAdam。He’safinefellow，andIliketheopportunityoflettingpeopleknowthatIthinkso。"
　　"AdramainwhichfriendArthurpiqueshimselfonhavingaprettyparttoplay，"saidMr。Irwine，smiling。ButwhenhesawArthurcolour，hewentonrelentingly，"Mypart，youknow，isalwaysthatoftheoldfogywhoseesnothingtoadmireintheyoungfolks。I
　　don’tliketoadmitthatI’mproudofmypupilwhenhedoesgracefulthings。ButImustplaytheamiableoldgentlemanforonce，andsecondyourtoastinhonourofAdam。Hasyourgrandfatheryieldedontheotherpointtoo，andagreedtohavearespectablemanassteward？"
　　"Ohno，"saidArthur，risingfromhischairwithanairofimpatienceandwalkingalongtheroomwithhishandsinhispockets。"He’sgotsomeprojectorotheraboutlettingtheChaseFarmandbargainingforasupplyofmilkandbutterforthehouse。
　　ButIasknoquestionsaboutit——itmakesmetooangry。Ibelievehemeanstodoallthebusinesshimself，andhavenothingintheshapeofasteward。It’samazingwhatenergyhehas，though。"
　　"Well，we’llgototheladiesnow，"saidMr。Irwine，risingtoo。
　　"Iwanttotellmymotherwhatasplendidthroneyou’vepreparedforherunderthemarquee。"
　　"Yes，andwemustbegoingtoluncheontoo，"saidArthur。"Itmustbetwoo’clock，forthereisthegongbeginningtosoundforthetenants’dinners。"