epayers themselves of each parish alone so that the poor were
entirely dependent on the goodwill or judgment of their employers, whose
minds were divided between keeping down the wages and the rates, and who
had little of real principle or knowledge to guide them. It was
possible to have recourse to the magistrates at the Petty Sessions, who
could give an order which would override the vestry; but it was apt to
be only the boldest, and often the least deserving, who could make out
the best apparent cases for themselves, that ventured on such a measure.

The two ladies stopped and spoke to Molly Hewlett and Nanny Barton, whom
they had seen at their doors, and who curtsied low; and Nanny, as she
saw Mrs Carbonel's eyes fall on her boots, put in--

"Yes, ma'am, 'tis bitter hard work this cold, damp weather, and wears
out one's shoes ter'ble. These be an old pair of my man's, and hurts my
poor feet dreadful, all over broken chilblains as they be; and my
fingers, too," she added, spreading out some fingers the colour of
beetroot, with dirty rags rolled round two of them.

Dora shrank. "And you can go on weeding with them?"

"Yes, ma'am. What can us do, when one's man gets but seven shillings a
week. And I've had six children, and buried three," and her face looked
ready for tears.

"Well, we will come and see you, and try to find something to help you,"
said Mrs Carbonel. "Where do you live?"

"Out beyond the church, ma'am--a long way for a lady."

"Oh, we are good walkers."

"And please, my lady," now said Molly, coming to the front, "if you
could give me an old bit of a pelisse, or anything, to make up for my
boy there. He's getting big, you see, and he is terrible bad off for
clothes. I don't know what is to be done for the lot of 'em."

Dora had recognised in the staring boy, who had come up close, him who
had made the commotion in church; and she ventured to say, "I remember
him. Don't you think, if you or his father kept him with you in church,
he would behave better there?"

"Bless you, miss, his father is a sceptic. I can't go while I've got no
clothes--nothing better than this, miss; and I always was used to go
decent and respectable. Besides, I couldn't nohow take he into the seat
with me, as Master Pucklechurch would say I was upsetting of his
missus."

"Well, I hope to see him behave better next Sunday."

"Do you hear, Jem? The lady is quite shocked at your rumbustiousness!
But 'twas all