re on 'em?'

'I never robbed!' cried Paul indignantly.

'None of your jaw,' said the farmer angrily. 'If you don't tell me this
moment where you've been, off you go this instant. Drinking at the
Tankard, I'll warrant.'

'No such thing, Sir,' said Paul. 'I went to Elbury after some medicine
for a sick person.'

Somehow he had a feeling about the house opposite, which would not let
him come out with the name in such a scene.

'That's all stuff,' broke in Mrs. Shepherd, 'I don't believe one word of
it! Send him off; take my advice, Farmer, let him go where he comes
from; Ellen King told me he was out of prison.'

Paul flushed crimson at this, and shook all over. He had all but turned
to go, caring for nothing more at Friarswood; but just then, John Farden,
one of the labourers, who was carrying out some manure, called out, 'No,
no, Ma'am. Sure enough he did go to Elbury to Dr. Blunt's. I was on the
road myself, and I hears him. "Good-night," says I. "Good-night," says
he. "Where be'est going?" says I. "To doctor's," says he, "arter some
stuff for Alfred King."

'Yes,' said Paul, speaking more to Farden than to his master, 'and then
Mrs. King gave me some supper, and that was what made me so late.'

'She ought to be ashamed of herself, then,' said Mrs. Shepherd
spitefully, 'having a vagabond scamp like that drinking beer at her house
at that time of night. How one is deceived in folks!'

'Well, what are you doing here?' cried the farmer, turning on Paul
angrily; 'd'ye mean to waste any more of the day?'

So Paul was not turned off, and had to go straight to his work. It was
well he had had so good a supper, for he had not a moment to snatch a bit
of breakfast. It so happened that his work was to go with John Farden,
who was carrying out the manure in the cart. Paul had to hold the horse,
while John forked it out into little heaps in the field. John was a
great big powerful man, with a foolish face, not a good workman, nor a
good character, or he would not have been at that farm. He had either
never been taught anything, or had forgotten it all; he never went near
church; he had married a disreputable wife, and had two or three unruly
children, who were likely to be the plagues of their parents and the
parish, but not a whit did John heed; he did not seem to have much more
sense than to work just enough to get food, lodging, beer, and tobacco,
to sleep all night, and doze all Sunday. There was no