about that she was carrying on with different people in the place and
gentlemen from town, just out of spite like, as Lambent agrees with me,
because the poor gal wouldn't notice him. Well, I want him dismissed or
made to resign."

"Well, and isn't he to go?"

"Go! Lor' bless you! Why, the committee's up in arms to keep him; and
just on account of that school-pence job, as the poor gal couldn't help
at all, they'd have dismissed her if she hadn't said she'd resign."

"Oh, Bill, it's much too bad!"

"Bad ain't nothing to it, my dear. I've been fighting hard for her
stopping, and sending her resignation back; but neither Lambent nor
Squire George Canninge won't interfere, and I'm left to fight it all
out, and they're beating me."

"And why didn't you tell me all this before, Bill?" said Miss Burge.

"Oh, I hadn't the heart to talk about it, my dear," replied her brother.
"It's all worry and vexation, that it is, and I wish I'd never done
nothing for the schools at all."

"Don't say that, Bill, when you've done so much good."

"But I do say it," he cried angrily. "Here is everybody setting
themselves again' me, and it's all jealousy because I've got on. I
never asked no favours of 'em before; it's all been give, give; and now
they show what they're all made of. It's all horse-leeches' daughters
with 'em, that's what it is, and I wish Plumton All Saints was burnt.
All Saints indeed!" he cried indignantly; "it's all devils, and no
saints in it at all."

"But can't Mr Lambent settle it?"

"No, he couldn't if he'd moved; and those two cats--there, I can't call
'em anything else--who are always going about preaching charity and love
to the poor people, and giving 'em `Dairyman's Daughters' instead of
beef or tea, have been setting every one again' the poor gal, and
they're at the bottom of it all I know. They hate her like poison."

"Well, I don't know about as bad as poison," said little Miss Burge
thoughtfully; "but they don't like her, and I don't think that Mrs
Canninge likes her either."

"No, I'm sure she don't; but I don't care," said Mr William Forth Burge
furiously. "I'm not beaten, and if that poor girl will stand by us,
I'll stand by her, to the last shilling I've got."

"That's right, Bill!" cried little Miss Burge enthusiastically, "for I
do like her ever so; and the good, patient way in which she puts up with
the fine airs and silly ways of her ma makes me like her more and more.
I haven