s he was born grown up, with money in
his pockets; wonder if he thinks he owns this whole town?" The
doctor never turned to resent this sarcastic soliloquy whereby the
boy's suppressed democracy asserted itself, but the next time he saw
Jerome's father he told him he had better look to his son's manners,
and Jerome had been called to account.

However, when he had repeated his speech which had given offence, he
had only been charged to keep his thoughts to himself in future.
"I'll think 'em, anyhow," said Jerome, with unabated defiance.

"You'll pay proper respect to your elders," said his father.

"You'll think what we tell you to," said his mother, but the eyes of
the two met. Doctor Prescott might hold the mortgage and exact his
pound of flesh, these poor backs might bend to the yoke, but there
was no cringing in the hearts of Abel Edwards and his wife. It was
easy to see where Jerome got his spirit.

However, spirit needs long experience and great strength to assert
itself fully at all times before long-recognized power. Jerome, going
up the road to Doctor Prescott's, felt rather a fierce submission and
obligatory humility than defiance. He felt as if this great man held
not only himself, but his mother and sister, their lives and
fortunes, at his disposal. Awe of the reigning sovereign was upon
him, but it was the surly awe of the peasant whose mouth is stopped
by force from questions.

It was not long before Jerome, going along the country road, came to
the beginning of Doctor Prescott's estate. He owned long stretches of
fields along the main street of the village, comprising many fine
house-lots, which, however, people were too poor to buy. Doctor
Prescott fixed such high prices to his house-lots that no one could
pay them. However, people thought he did not care to sell. He liked
being a large land-owner, like an English lord, and feeling that he
owned half the village, they said.

Moreover, his acres brought him a fair income. They were sowed to
clover and timothy, and barley and corn, and gave such hay and such
crops as no others in town.

As Jerome passed these fair fields, either golden-green with the
young grass, or ploughed in even ridges for the new seeds, set with
dandelions like stars, or pierced as to the brown mould with emerald
spears of grain, he scowled at them, and his mouth puckered grimly
and piteously. He thought of all this land which Doctor Prescott
owned; he thought of the one poo