the possible alternatives and weighed off against one
another the various amounts of pleasure and pain involved, resolutely
counting himself as "one and not more than one." He certainly estimated
at a large figure the amount of pleasure he himself would derive from
paying Shott in his own coin. All consideration of "quality" was
strictly eliminated, for in this matter Hankin held rather with Bentham
than with Mill. The sum was an extremely complicated one to work, and
gave more exercise to Hankin's powers of moral arithmetic than either
armaments, or women's suffrage, or the State Church. Mrs. Abel had left
him free to do exactly as he liked; and he had nearly determined to
expel Shott when it occurred to him that by taking the other course he
would give a considerable amount of pleasure to the Rector's wife. And
to this must be added the pleasure which he would derive for himself by
pleasing her, and further the pleasure of his chief friend and enemy,
Snarley Bob, on discovering that both of them were pleased. Then there
was the question of his own reflected pleasure in the pleasure of
Snarley Bob, and this was considerable also; for though Hankin denounced
Bob on every possible occasion, yet secretly he valued his good opinion
more than that of any living man. It is true that the figures at which
he estimated these personal quantities were very small in proportion to
those which he had set down to the more public aspects of the case; for
his principles forbade him to reckon either Mrs. Abel or Snarley as
"more than one." Nevertheless, small as these figures were, Hankin
found, when he came to add up his totals and strike off the balance of
pains, that they were enough to turn the scale. He determined to leave
Shott undisturbed, and went to bed with that feeling of perfect mental
satisfaction which did duty with him for a conscience at peace.

Notice of this resolution was conveyed next day to the parties
concerned, and that night Farmer Shott, who was a pious Methodist and
held family prayers, instead of imploring the Almighty "to defeat the
wiles of Satan, now active in this village," put up a lengthy petition
for blessings on the heads of Shoemaker Hankin and his family,
mentioning each one of them by name, and adding such particulars of his
or her special needs as would leave the Divine Benevolence with no
excuse for mixing them up.

With all his hard-headedness Hankin combined the graces of a singularly
kind and