Thecarrierswenton，andStockdaleandMrs。Newberryfollowedatadistanceofastone’sthrow。’Whatdothesemendobyday？’hesaid。
　　’Twelveorfourteenofthemarelabouringmen。Somearebrickmakers，somecarpenters，someshoe-makers，somethatchers。
　　Theyareallknowntomeverywell。Nineof’emareofyourowncongregation。’
　　’Ican’thelpthat，’saidStockdale。
　　’O，Iknowyoucan’t。Ionlytoldyou。Theothersaremorechurch-
　　inclined，becausetheysupplythepa’sonwithallthespiritsherequires，andtheydon’twishtoshowunfriendlinesstoacustomer。’
　　’Howdoyouchoose’em？’saidStockdale。
　　’Wechoose’emfortheircloseness，andbecausetheyarestrongandsurefooted，andabletocarryaheavyloadalongwaywithoutbeingtired。’
　　Stockdalesighedassheenumeratedeachparticular，foritprovedhowfarinvolvedinthebusinessawomanmustbewhowassowellacquaintedwithitsconditionsandneeds。Andyethefeltmoretenderlytowardsheratthismomentthanhehadfeltalltheforegoingday。Perhapsitwasthatherexperiencedmannerandholdindifferencestirredhisadmirationinspiteofhimself。
　　’Takemyarm，Lizzy，’hemurmured。
　　’Idon’twantit，’shesaid。’Besides，wemayneverbetoeachotheragainwhatweoncehavebeen。’
　　’Thatdependsuponyou，’saidhe，andtheywentonagainasbefore。
　　ThehiredcarrierspacedalongoverChaldonDownwithaslittlehesitationasifithadbeenday，avoidingthecart-way，andleavingthevillageofEastChaldonontheleft，soastoreachthecrestofthehillatalonelytracklessplacenotfarfromtheancientearthworkcalledRoundPound。Anhour’sbriskwalkingbroughtthemwithinsoundofthesea，notmanyhundredyardsfromLulsteadCove。
　　Heretheypaused，andLizzyandStockdalecameupwiththem，whentheywentontogethertothevergeofthecliff。Oneofthemennowproducedanironbar，whichhedrovefirmlyintothesoilayardfromtheedge，andattachedtoitaropethathehaduncoiledfromhisbody。Theyallbegantodescend，partlystepping，partlyslidingdowntheincline，astheropeslippedthroughtheirhands。
　　’Youwillnotgotothebottom，Lizzy？’saidStockdaleanxiously。
　　’No。Istayheretowatch，’shesaid。’Owlettisdownthere。’
　　Themenremainedquitesilentwhentheyreachedtheshore；andthenextthingaudibletothetwoatthetopwasthedipofheavyoars，andthedashingofwavesagainstaboat’sbow。Inamomentthekeelgentlytouchedtheshingle，andStockdaleheardthefootstepsofthethirty-sixcarriersrunningforwardsoverthepebblestowardsthepointoflanding。
　　Therewasasousinginthewaterasofabroodofducksplungingin，showingthatthemenhadnotbeenparticularaboutkeepingtheirlegs，oreventheirwaists，dryfromthebrine:butitwasimpossibletoseewhattheyweredoing，andinafewminutestheshinglewastrampledagain。Theironbarsustainingtherope，onwhichStockdale’shandrested，begantoswervealittle，andthecarriersonebyoneappearedclimbinguptheslopingcliff；drippingaudiblyastheycame，andsustainingthemselvesbytheguide-rope。
　　Eachmanonreachingthetopwasseentobecarryingapairoftubs，oneonhisbackandoneonhischest，thetwobeingslungtogetherbycordspassingroundthechinehoops，andrestingonthecarrier’sshoulders。Someofthestrongermencarriedthreebyputtinganextraoneonthetopbehind，butthecustomaryloadwasapair，thesebeingquiteweightyenoughtogivetheirbearerthesensationofhavingchestandbackboneincontactafterawalkoffourorfivemiles。
　　’WhereisOwlett？’saidLizzytooneofthem。
　　’Hewillnotcomeupthisway，’saidthecarrier。’He’stobideonshoretillwebesafeoff。’Then，withoutwaitingfortherest，theforemostmenplungedacrossthedown；and，whenthelasthadascended，Lizzypulleduptherope，wounditroundherarm，wriggledthebarfromthesod，andturnedtofollowthecarriers。
　　’YouareveryanxiousaboutOwlett’ssafety，’saidtheminister。
　　’Wasthereeversuchaman！’saidLizzy。’Why，isn’themycousin？’
　　’Yes。Well，itisabadnight’swork，’saidStockdaleheavily。
　　’ButI’llcarrythebarandropeforyou。’
　　’ThankGod，thetubshavegotsofarallright，’saidshe。
　　Stockdaleshookhishead，and，takingthebar，walkedbyhersidetowardsthedowns；andthemoanoftheseawasheardnomore。
　　’IsthiswhatyoumeanttheotherdaywhenyouspokeofhavingbusinesswithOwlett？’theyoungmanasked。
　　’Thisisit，’shereplied。’Ineverseehimonanyothermatter。’
　　’Apartnershipofthatkindwithayoungmanisveryodd。’
　　’Itwasbegunbymyfatherandhis，whowerebrother-laws。’
　　HercompanioncouldnotblindhimselftothefactthatwheretastesandpursuitsweresoakinasLizzy’sandOwlett’s，andwhereriskswereshared，aswiththem，ineveryundertaking，therewouldbeapeculiarappropriatenessinheransweringOwlett’sstandingquestiononmatrimonyintheaffirmative。ThisdidnotsootheStockdale，itstendencybeingrathertostimulateinhimanefforttomakethepairasinappropriateaspossible，andwinherawayfromthisnocturnalcrewtocorrectnessofconductandaminister’sparlourinsomefar-
　　removedinlandcounty。
　　TheyhadbeenwalkingnearenoughtothefileofcarriersforStockdaletoperceivethat，whentheygotintotheroadtothevillage，theysplitupintotwocompaniesofunequalsize，eachofwhichmadeoffinadirectionofitsown。Onecompany，thesmallerofthetwo，wenttowardsthechurch，andbythetimethatLizzyandStockdalereachedtheirownhousethesemenhadscaledthechurchyardwall，andwereproceedingnoiselesslyoverthegrasswithin。
　　’IseethatOwletthasarrangedforonebatchtobeputinthechurchagain，’observedLizzy。’Doyouremembermytakingyoutherethefirstnightyoucame？’
　　’Yes，ofcourse，’saidStockdale。’Nowonderyouhadpermissiontobroachthetubs——theywerehis，Isuppose？’
　　’No，theywerenot——theyweremine；Ihadpermissionfrommyself。
　　Thedayafterthattheywentseveralmilesinlandinawaggon-loadofmanure，andsoldverywell。’
　　AtthismomentthegroupofmenwhohadmadeofftotheleftsometimebeforebeganleapingonebyonefromthehedgeoppositeLizzy’shouse，andthefirstman，whohadnotubsuponhisshoulders，cameforward。
　　’Mrs。Newberry，isn’tit？’hesaidhastily。
　　’Yes，Jim，’saidshe。’What’sthematter？’
　　’Ifindthatwecan’tputanyinBadger’sClumpto-night，Lizzy，’
　　saidOwlett。’Theplaceiswatched。Wemustslingtheapple-treeintheorchetifthere’stime。Wecan’tputanymoreunderthechurchlumberthanIhavesentonthere，andmymixenhevalreadymoreinenthanissafe。’
　　’Verywell，’shesaid。’Bequickaboutit——that’sall。WhatcanI
　　do？’
　　’Nothingatall，please。Ah，itistheminister！——youtwothatcan’tdoanythinghadbettergetindoorsandnotbezeed。’
　　WhileOwlettthusconversed，inatonesofullofcontrabandanxietyandsofreefromlover’sjealousy，themenwhofollowedhimhadbeendescendingonebyonefromthehedge；anditunfortunatelyhappenedthatwhenthehindmosttookhisleap，thecordslippedwhichsustainedhistubs:theresultwasthatboththekegsfellintotheroad，oneofthembeingstoveinbytheblow。
　　’’Oddrownitall！’saidOwlett，rushingback。
　　’Itisworthagooddeal，Isuppose？’saidStockdale。
　　’Ono——abouttwoguineasandhalftousnow，’saidLizzyexcitedly。
　　’Itisn’tthat——itisthesmell！Itissoblazingstrongbeforeithasbeenloweredbywater，thatitsmellsdreadfullywhenspiltintheroadlikethat！IdohopeLatimerwon’tpassbytillitisgoneoff。’
　　Owlettandoneortwootherspickedupthebursttubandbegantoscrapeandtrampleoverthespot，todispersetheliquorasmuchaspossible；andthentheyallenteredthegateofOwlett’sorchard，whichadjoinedLizzy’sgardenontheright。Stockdaledidnotcaretofollowthem，forseveralonrecognizinghimhadlookedwonderinglyathispresence，thoughtheysaidnothing。Lizzylefthissideandwenttothebottomofthegarden，lookingoverthehedgeintotheorchard，wherethemencouldbedimlyseenbustlingabout，andapparentlyhidingthetubs。Allwasdonenoiselessly，andwithoutalight；andwhenitwasovertheydispersedindifferentdirections，thosewhohadtakentheircargoestothechurchhavingalreadygoneofftotheirhomes。
　　Lizzyreturnedtothegarden-gate，overwhichStockdalewasstillabstractedlyleaning。’Itisallfinished:Iamgoingindoorsnow，’shesaidgently。’Iwillleavethedoorajarforyou。’
　　’Ono——youneedn’t，’saidStockdale；’Iamcomingtoo。’
　　Butbeforeeitherofthemhadmoved，thefaintclatterofhorses’
　　hoofsbrokeupontheear，anditseemedtocomefromthepointwherethetrackacrossthedownjoinedthehardroad。
　　’Theyarejusttoolate！’criedLizzyexultingly。