on my honour, 'tis
worse than we thought; for he has led my Lord Castlemallard's old agent
into mischief too--and Meg Partlet has had two swains at her feet this
morning; and, see, the hypocrites have got some trout in their basket,
and their rods on their shoulders--and look, for all the world, as if
they had only been fishing--sly rogues!'

'Well, it's all one,' said Mrs. Irons, gaping from the other window, and
sobering rapidly; 'if 'tisn't to-day, 'twill be to-morrow, I suppose;
and at any rate 'tis a sin and shame to leave any poor crature in this
miserable taking, not knowing but he might be drownded--or worse--dear
knows it would not be much trouble to tell his wife when the gentleman
wanted him--and sure for any honest matter I'd never say against it.'

Her thoughts were running upon Dangerfield, and what 'compliment' he had
probably made her husband at parting; and a minute or two after this,
Devereux saw her, with her riding-hood on, trudging up to the "Salmon
House" to make inquisition after the same.

CHAPTER XXI.

RELATING AMONG OTHER THINGS HOW DOCTOR TOOLE WALKED UP TO THE TILED
HOUSE; AND OF HIS PLEASANT DISCOURSE WITH MR. MERVYN.

Dr. Sturk's spirits and temper had not become more pleasant lately. In
fact he brooded more, and was more savage at home than was at all
agreeable. He used to go into town oftener, and to stay there later; and
his language about Toole and Nutter, when there was none but submissive
little Mrs. Sturk by, was more fierce and coarse than ever. To hear him,
then, one would have supposed that they were actually plotting to make
away with him, and that in self-defence he must smite them hip and
thigh. Then, beside their moral offensiveness, they were such 'idiots,'
and: 'noodles,' and botching and blundering right and left, so palpably
to the danger and ruin of their employers, that no man of conscience
could sit easy and see it going on; and all this simply because he had
fixed his affections upon the practice of the one, and the agency of the
other. For Sturk had, in his own belief, a genius for business of every
sort. Everybody on whom his insolent glance fell, who had any sort of
business to do, did it wrong, and was a 'precious disciple,' or a
'goose,' or a 'born jackass,' and excited his scoffing chuckle. And
little Mrs. Sturk, frightened and admiring, used to say, while he
grinned and muttered, and tittered into the fire, with his great
shoulders buried in his ba