r-excited man. You are not yourself. You have let your
temper get the better of you through brooding over some imaginary
grievance, and to-morrow when you are calm I know from old experience
that you will bitterly regret the insults you have heaped upon the head
of as good and true-hearted a man as ever stepped this earth."

Drinkwater was about to reply, but he was checked by a fresh speaker,
for Will suddenly threw up his cap high in the air with as loud a hurrah
as he could utter, acting as fugleman to the group around, who joined in
heartily, helped by Josh, in a cheer, strangely mingled, the gruff with
the shrill of the women's voices.

"Well done!" whispered Will, half-bashfully shrinking back, and gripping
his comrade's arm. "Oh, Josh, I never knew your father could preach
like that!"

"Cowards! Pitiful, contemptible worms! That's right; put your necks
lower under his heel. I'll have no more of it. From this day, after
the words he's said to me this morning, never another stroke of work I
will do here."

"Stop, James Drinkwater," cried Will's father, firmly; "as the Vicar
says, you are not yourself. Don't say more of the words of which you
will bitterly repent, when you grow calm--when this fit has passed--and
can see that the fault I found this morning was perfectly justified by
your neglect, in a fit of temper, of a special duty--a neglect that
might have resulted in a serious accident to the machinery, perhaps loss
of life or limb to some of the people here."

"It's a falsehood," shouted the man. "If I left out those screws it was
because I was dazed--suffering from overwork--work forced upon me that I
was not fit to do, but heaped upon me to save your pocket and the
blacksmith's bill."

"No," said John Willows, gravely; "I asked you to repair that engine
because I knew it was a mechanical task in which you delighted to
display your skill--because you would do it better than the rough smith
of the town."

"Nay, it was to save your own pocket."

"That is untrue," said Mr Willows, "and, if any of your fellow-workers
like to go into the office, the clerk will show them that a liberal
payment, to show my satisfaction over the way the work was done, has
been added as a bonus to your weekly wage."

Another cheer arose at this, which seemed to add fresh fuel to the angry
fire blazing in the half-demented man's breast.

"Bah!" yelled Drinkwater, more furious than ever. "Oil! To smooth me
down.