the
presence of Mr. Crawley, thought it better to remain where she was.

Mr. Crawley sat himself down by the obstinate fire, and began to
arrange the sticks. "Dan, Dan," said a voice from the bed, "sure you
wouldn't let his reverence trouble himself with the fire."

"How be I to keep him from it, if he chooses? I didn't ax him." Then
Morris stood by and watched, and after a while Mr. Crawley succeeded
in his attempt.

"How could it burn when you had not given the small spark a current
of air to help it?" said Mr. Crawley.

"In course not," said the woman, "but he be such a stupid."

The husband said no word in acknowledgement of this compliment, nor
did he thank Mr. Crawley for what he had done, nor appear as though he
intended to take any notice of him. He was going on with his work
when Mr. Crawley again interrupted him.

"How did you get back from Silverbridge yesterday, Dan?"

"Footed it,--all the blessed way."

"It's only eight miles."

"And I footed it there, and that's sixteen. And I paid
one-and-sixpence for beer and grub;--s'help me I did."

"Dan!" said a voice from the bed, rebuking him for the impropriety of
his language.

"Well; I beg pardon, but I did. And they guv' me two bob;--just two
plain shillings, by ----"

"Dan!"

"And I'd 've arned three-and-six here at brickmaking easy; that's
what I wuld. How's a poor man to live that way? They'll not cotch me
at Barchester 'Sizes at that price; they may be sure of that. Look
there,--that's what I've got for my day." And he put his hand into
his breeches-pocket and fetched out a sixpence. "How's a man to fill
his belly out of that. Damnation!"

"Dan!"

"Well, what did I say? Hold your jaw, will you, and not be halloaing
at me that way? I know what I'm a saying of, and what I'm a doing
of."

"I wish they'd given you something more with all my heart," said
Crawley.

"We knows that," cried the woman from the bed. "We is sure of that,
your reverence."

"Sixpence!" said the man, scornfully. "If they'd have guv' me nothing
at all but the run of my teeth at the public-house, I'd 've taken it
better. But sixpence!"

Then there was a pause. "And what have they given to me?" said Mr
Crawley, when the man's ill-humour about his sixpence had so far
subsided as to allow of his busying himself again about the premises.

"Yes, indeed;--yes, indeed," said the woman. "Yes, yes, we feel that;
we do indeed, Mr. Crawley."

"I tell you what, sir; for an