d, when the clothes came in half-yearly, and
decent garments encouraged more attendance at church. There was no
doubt that Uphill was more orderly, but who could tell what was the
amount of real improvement in the people's hearts and souls?

That first Confirmation had only produced two additional communicants,
Sophia Carbonel, and Susan Pucklechurch, who was in training in the
Greenhow nursery. Not one of the others came to the Holy Feast. Their
parents, for the most part, said they were too young, and, as these
parents never came themselves, the matter seemed hopeless unless some
deeper religious feeling could be infused by diligent care.

In one case, where there was a terrible illness and a slow recovery of
George Truman, he became strongly impressed, and so did his wife, a very
nice, meek woman, who had been in a good service. They both came to the
Holy Communion the month after the man was out again, but he did not
keep it up. "Sir, if you knew what the talk was like out in the fields,
you would not wish it," he said. Which gave Mr Harford much to think
about.

The next Confirmation, three years later, collected nearly the same
number of boys and girls, and Mr Harford walked with the boys himself,
and sent Mrs Thorpe with the girls, so that there was no such scandal
as before. The only lad who presented himself from among those rejected
of the former year, was Johnnie Hewlett. He was by this time older than
any of the other candidates, and he had learnt in a measure to stand
alone, though it was chiefly his promise to his aunt that brought him
now. He still worked with his cousin George Hewlett, and was a good
deal trusted, and made useful. His father had, however, drifted farther
and farther away, since George had absolutely refused to employ him
again in his business.

"You never know where you are with such as he," said George, and with
good reason; but Dan laid it all to "they Gobblealls and their spite."
It was so far true that it was the depredations at Greenhow Farm that
first convinced George that Dan was an absolute pilferer, though he had
before suspected it, and tried to shut his eyes to the doubt. Dan,
being a really clever workman, far brighter-witted than George, had
lived upon chance jobs at Downhill or Poppleby, together with a good
deal of underhand poaching, which he kept as much as possible from the
knowledge of his family, never being sure what Molly might not tell her
sister, no