faces being visible behind these--the whole dozen and odd
eyes bristling with eager inquiry.

Mr. Penny, as is the case with excitable boot-makers and men, seeing the
vicar look at him and hearing no word spoken, thought it incumbent upon
himself to say something of any kind. Nothing suggested itself till he
had looked for about half a minute at the vicar.

"You'll excuse my naming of it, sir," he said, regarding with much
commiseration the mere surface of the vicar's face; "but perhaps you
don't know that your chin have bust out a-bleeding where you cut yourself
a-shaving this morning, sir."

"Now, that was the stooping, depend upon't," the tranter suggested, also
looking with much interest at the vicar's chin. "Blood always will bust
out again if you hang down the member that's been bleeding."

Old William raised his eyes and watched the vicar's bleeding chin
likewise; and Leaf advanced two or three paces from the bookcase,
absorbed in the contemplation of the same phenomenon, with parted lips
and delighted eyes.

"Dear me, dear me!" said Mr. Maybold hastily, looking very red, and
brushing his chin with his hand, then taking out his handkerchief and
wiping the place.

"That's it, sir; all right again now, 'a b'lieve--a mere nothing," said
Mr. Penny. "A little bit of fur off your hat will stop it in a minute if
it should bust out again."

"I'll let 'ee have a bit off mine," said Reuben, to show his good
feeling; "my hat isn't so new as yours, sir, and 'twon't hurt mine a
bit."

"No, no; thank you, thank you," Mr. Maybold again nervously replied.

"'Twas rather a deep cut seemingly?" said Reuben, feeling these to be the
kindest and best remarks he could make.

"O, no; not particularly."

"Well, sir, your hand will shake sometimes a-shaving, and just when it
comes into your head that you may cut yourself, there's the blood."

"I have been revolving in my mind that question of the time at which we
make the change," said Mr. Maybold, "and I know you'll meet me half-way.
I think Christmas-day as much too late for me as the present time is too
early for you. I suggest Michaelmas or thereabout as a convenient time
for both parties; for I think your objection to a Sunday which has no
name is not one of any real weight."

"Very good, sir. I suppose mortal men mustn't expect their own way
entirely; and I express in all our names that we'll make shift and be
satisfied with what you say." The tranter touched