; and the bottle was inclined towards Shiner. Shiner, as a
high-class man, would not look in the least triumphant, and turned to go
off with it as Geoffrey came downstairs after the search in his linen for
concealed bees.

"O--that you, Master Dewy?"

Dick assured the keeper that it was; and the young man then determined
upon a bold stroke for the attainment of his end, forgetting that the
worst of bold strokes is the disastrous consequences they involve if they
fail.

"I've come on purpose to speak to you very particular, Mr. Day," he said,
with a crushing emphasis intended for the ears of Mr. Shiner, who was
vanishing round the door-post at that moment.

"Well, I've been forced to go upstairs and unrind myself, and shake some
bees out o' me" said Geoffrey, walking slowly towards the open door, and
standing on the threshold. "The young rascals got into my shirt and
wouldn't be quiet nohow."

Dick followed him to the door.

"I've come to speak a word to you," he repeated, looking out at the pale
mist creeping up from the gloom of the valley. "You may perhaps guess
what it is about."

The keeper lowered his hands into the depths of his pockets, twirled his
eyes, balanced himself on his toes, looked as perpendicularly downward as
if his glance were a plumb-line, then horizontally, collecting together
the cracks that lay about his face till they were all in the
neighbourhood of his eyes.

"Maybe I don't know," he replied.

Dick said nothing; and the stillness was disturbed only by some small
bird that was being killed by an owl in the adjoining wood, whose cry
passed into the silence without mingling with it.

"I've left my hat up in chammer," said Geoffrey; "wait while I step up
and get en."

"I'll be in the garden," said Dick.

He went round by a side wicket into the garden, and Geoffrey went
upstairs. It was the custom in Mellstock and its vicinity to discuss
matters of pleasure and ordinary business inside the house, and to
reserve the garden for very important affairs: a custom which, as is
supposed, originated in the desirability of getting away at such times
from the other members of the family when there was only one room for
living in, though it was now quite as frequently practised by those who
suffered from no such limitation to the size of their domiciles.

The head-keeper's form appeared in the dusky garden, and Dick walked
towards him. The elder paused and leant over the rail of a pigger