he young damsels after whose fortunes they enquired. Old Dame Rawdon
was worse or better; worse last night, but better this morning. She was
always better when Miss called. Miss's face always did her good. And
Fanny was very comfortable at Squire Wentworth's, and the housekeeper
was very kind to her, thanks to Miss saying a word to the great Lady.
And old John Selby was quite about again. Miss's stuff had done him a
world of good, to say nothing of Mr. Dacre's generous old wine.

'And is this your second son, Dame Rishworth?' 'No; that bees our
fourth,' said the old woman, maternally arranging the urchin's thin,
white, flat, straight, unmanageable hair. 'We are thinking what to do
with him, Miss. He wants to go out to service. Since Jem Eustace got on
so, I don't know what the matter is with the lads; but I think we shall
have none of them in the fields soon. He can clean knives and shoes very
well, Miss. Mr. Bradford, at the Castle, was saying t'other day that
perhaps he might want a young hand. You haven't heard anything, I
suppose, Miss?'

'And what is your name, sir?' asked Miss Dacre. 'Bobby Rishworth, Miss!'
'Well, Bobby, I must consult Mr. Bradford.' 'We be in great trouble,
Miss,' said the next cottager. 'We be in great trouble. Tom, poor Tom,
was out last night, and the keepers will give him up. The good man has
done all he can, we have all done all we can, Miss, and you see how it
ends. He is the first of the family that ever went out. I hope that will
be considered, Miss. Seventy years, our fathers before us, have we
been on the 'state, and nothing ever sworn agin us. I hope that will
be considered, Miss. I am sure if Tom had been an underkeeper, as Mr.
Roberts once talked of, this would never have happened. I hope that will
be considered, Miss. We are in great trouble surely. Tom, you see, was
our first, Miss.'

'I never interfere about poaching, you know, Mrs. Jones. Mr. Dacre is
the best judge of such matters. But you can go to him, and say that I
sent you. I am afraid, however, that he has heard of Tom before.'

'Only that night at Milwood, Miss; and then you see he had been drinking
with Squire Ridge's people. I hope that will be considered, Miss.'

'Well, well, go up to the Castle.'

'Pray be seated, Miss,' said a neat-looking mistress of a neat little
farmhouse. 'Pray be seated, sir. Let me dust it first. Dust will get
everywhere, do what we can. And how's Pa, Miss? He has not given me
a look-in