h-tower. 'I knew they'd be at it,' said Mr.
Holt.

'And quite right too,' said Mr. Halfacre. 'We'd rung over at Utterden,
only we've got nothing but that little tinkling thing as is more fitter
to swing round a bullock's neck than on a church-top.'

'I told 'em as they should have beer,' said Mr. Brownby, whose house
stood on Folking Causeway, 'and they shall have beer!' Mr. Brownby was a
silent man, and added nothing to this one pertinent remark.

'As to beer,' said Mr. Halfacre, 'we'd 'ave found the beer at Utterden.
There wouldn't have been no grudging the beer, Mr. Brownby, no more than
there is in the lower parish; but you can't get up a peal merely on
beer. You've got to have bells.'

While they were still standing at the gate, Mr. Bromley the clergyman
joined them, and walked back towards the house with the two Caldigates.
He, too, had come to offer his congratulations, and to assure the
released prisoner that he never believed the imputed guilt. But he would
not go into the house, surmising that on such a day the happy wife would
not care to see many visitors. But Caldigate asked him to take a turn
about the grounds, being anxious to learn something from the outside
world. 'What do they say to it all at Babington?'

'I think they're a little divided.'

'My aunt has been against me, of course.'

'At first she was, I fancy. It was natural that people should believe
till Shand came back.'

'Poor, dear old Dick. I must look after Dick. What about Julia?'

'Spretae injuria formae!' said Mr. Bromley. 'What were you to expect?'

'I'll forgive her. And Mr. Smirkie? I don't think Smirkie ever looked on
me with favourable eyes.'

Then the clergyman was forced to own that Smirkie too had been among
those who had believed the woman's story. 'But you have to remember how
natural it is that a man should think a verdict to be right. In our
country a wrong verdict is an uncommon occurrence. It requires close
personal acquaintance and much personal confidence to justify a man in
supposing that twelve jurymen should come to an erroneous decision. I
thought that they were wrong. But still I knew that I could hardly
defend my opinion before the outside world.'

'It is all true,' said Caldigate; 'and I have made up my mind that I
will be angry with no one who will begin to believe me innocent from
this day.'

His mind, however, was considerably exercised in regard to the Boltons,
as to whom he feared that they would