nly to go and tell her husband about
her for me to go and tell him the same story about your having seen the
whole thing in a dream."

"Why?" cried Gubin, now almost beside himself. Presently, however, he
recovered sufficient self-possession to grin and ask in an undertone:

"HOW MUCH DID SHE GIVE YOU?"

I explained to him that my sole reason for what I had done had been
that I pitied the woman, and feared lest the brothers Birkin should do
an injury to one who at least ought not to be betrayed. Gubin began by
declining to believe me, but eventually, after the matter had been
thought out, said:

"Acceptance of money for doing what is right is certainly irregular;
but at least is it better than acceptance of money for conniving at
sin. Well, you have spoilt my scheme, young fellow. Hired only to clean
out the well, I would nevertheless have cleaned out the establishment
as a whole, and taken pleasure in doing so."

Then once more he relapsed into fury, and muttered as he scurried round
and round the well:

"How DARED you poke your nose into other people's affairs? Who are YOU
in this establishment?"

The air was hot and arid, yet still the sky was as dull as though
coated throughout with the dust of summer, and, as yet, one could gaze
at the sun's purple, rayless orb without blinking, and as easily as one
could have gazed at the glowing embers of a wood fire.

Seated on the fence, a number of rooks were directing intelligent black
eyes upon the heaps of mud which lay around the coping of the well. And
from time to time they fluttered their wings impatiently, and cawed.

"I got you some work," Gubin continued in a grumbling tone, "and put
heart into you with the prospect of employment. And now you have gone
and treated me like--"

At this point I caught the sound of a horse trotting towards the
entrance-gates, and heard someone shout, as the animal drew level with
the house:

"YOUR timber too has caught alight!"

Instantly, frightened by the shout, the rooks took to their wings and
flew away. Also, a window sash squeaked, and the courtyard resounded
with sudden bustle--the culinary regions vomiting the elderly lady and
the tousled, half-clad Jonah; and an open window the upper half of the
red-headed Peter.

"Men, harness up as quickly as possible!" the latter cried, his voice
charged with a plaintive note.

And, indeed, he had hardly spoken before Gubin led out a fat roan pony,
and Jonah pulled from a s