oy
went on, turning to him. 'I suppose it's too late to do anything with
them this afternoon?'

Tom Brick touched his cap, looking rather sheepish.

'I've not brought 'em, sir,' he replied; 'fact is, I've not got 'em to
bring. I just stepped over to tell Master Griffith here as I've sold
'em--for a good price too; so I hope you'll ex--cuse it. I didn't want
to keep 'em, as they're nasty things to have about a little place like
mine with the children and the fowls, and my missus as can't abide 'em.'

'I certainly think you should have kept your promise to us before you
parted with them,' said Justin, in his lordly way. 'I think it's a great
shame. What's to be done now, Griffith?' he went on, to the coachman.
'The place will be overrun with rats.'

But Griffith was just then absorbed by the pony, for the third man in
the group was the 'vet' from the nearest town, who had come over to
examine its leg again, and, before replying to Justin, he turned to the
stable-boy, bidding him fetch something or other from the house which
the horse-doctor had asked for.

'Griffith!' repeated Justin impatiently, 'don't you hear what I say?'

Griffith looked up, his face had a worried expression.

'Is it about these ferrets?' he said. 'I can't be troubled about them
just now, Master Justin. It's this here pony needs attending to. We'll
get rid of the rats, no fear, somehow or other.'

Justin was too proud to begin any discussion with the coachman before
the 'vet,' who was an important person in his way. So he walked off,
looking rather black, followed by his brothers, Pat, to tell the truth,
by no means sorry at the turn that things had taken.

'Griffith is getting too cheeky by half,' said Justin at last, in a
sullen tone.

'He's in a fuss about mamma's pony, I suppose,' said Archie. 'But it is
rather too bad of that Tom Brick, only----'

'What?' said Justin. 'Why don't you finish what you've got to say?'

'It's only that I don't know if papa and mamma care much about our
ferreting; at least mamma doesn't, I know,' said Archie. 'I've heard her
say it's cruel and ugly.'

'All women think like that,' said Justin; 'my goodness, if you listen to
them you'd have a pretty dull time of it. I don't see anything cruel
about it when they're just muzzled, and as for killing the rats!--they
_have_ to be killed.'

'All the same,' said Pat, 'it must be rather horrid to see.'

'It's no horrider than heaps of other things that are awfu