to be taken out of that room to-day."

"Not taken out! Oh, Mr Whittlestaff! Why, the porter is here with
his barrow to take it down to the station."

"Then the porter must have a shilling and go back again empty." And
so he stalked on, to bid Miss Lawrie come to him in the library.

"I never heard of such a go in all my life;--and he means it, too,"
said Thornybush, the gardener.

"I never quite know what he means," said Hayonotes, the groom; "but
he's always in earnest, whatever it is. I never see one like the
master for being in earnest. But he's too deep for me in his meaning.
I suppose we is only got to go back." So they retreated down the
stairs, leaving Mrs Baggett weeping in the passage.

"You should let a poor old woman have her box," she said, whining to
her master, whom she followed to the library.

"No; I won't! You shan't have your box. You're an old fool!"

"I know I'm an old fool;--but I ought to have my box."

"You won't have it. You may just go down and get your dinner. When
you want to go to bed, you shall have the key."

"I ought to have my box, Miss Mary. It's my own box. What am I to do
with Baggett? They have given him more gin out there, and he's as
drunk as a beast. I think I ought to have my own box. Shall I tell
Thornybush as he may come back? The train'll be gone, and then what
am I to do with Baggett? He'll get hisself that drunk, you won't be
able to stir him. And it is my own box, Mr Whittlestaff?"

To all which Mr Whittlestaff turned a deaf ear. She should find that
there was no maundering softness with him now. He felt within his own
bosom that it behoved him to learn to become stern and cruel. He knew
that the key was in his pocket, and found that there was a certain
satisfaction in being stern and cruel. Mrs Baggett might sob her
heart out after her box, and he would decline to be moved.

"What'll I do about Baggett, sir?" said the poor woman, coming back.
"He's a lying there at the gate, and the perlice doesn't like to
touch him because of you, sir. He says as how if you could take him
into the stables, he'd sleep it off among the straw. But then he'd be
just as bad after this first go, to-morrow."

To this, however, Mr Whittlestaff at once acceded. He saw a way out
of the immediate difficulty. He therefore called Hayonotes to him,
and succeeded in explaining his immediate meaning. Hayonotes and
the policeman between them lifted Baggett, and deposited the man in
an empty s