nd did not make much conversation himself, and his mother felt a
little embarrassed on this particular morning.

It was not, therefore, until Dame Winburn had finished her first
slice of bread and butter, and had sipped the greater part of her
second dish of tea out of her saucer, that she broke silence.

"I minded thy business last night, Harry, when I wur up at the
Rectory about the washin'. It's my belief as thou'lt get t'other
'lotment next quarter-day. The Doctor spoke very kind about it,
and said as how he heer'd as high a character o' thee, young as
thee bist, as of are' a man in the parish, and as how he wur set
on lettin' the lots to thaay as'd do best by 'em; only he said as
the farmers went agin givin' more nor an acre to any man as
worked for _them_; and the Doctor, you see, he don't like to go
altogether agin the vestry folk."

"What business is it o' theirs," said Harry, "so long as they get
their own work done? There's scarce one on 'em as hasn't more
land already nor he can keep as should be, and for all that they
want to snap up every bit as falls vacant, so as no poor man
shall get it."

"'Tis mostly so with them as has," said his mother, with a half
puzzled look; "Scriptur says as to them shall be given, and they
shall have more abundant," Dame Winburn spoke hesitatingly, and
looked doubtfully at Harry, as a person who has shot with a
strange gun, and knows not what effect the bolt may have. Harry
was brought up all standing by this unexpected quotation of his
mother's; but, after thinking for a few moments while he cut
himself a slice of bread, replied:--

"It don't say as those shall have more that can't use what
they've got already. 'Tis a deal more like Naboth's vineyard for
aught as I can see. But 'tis little odds to me which way it
goes."

"How canst talk so, Harry?" said his mother reproachfully; "thou
know'st thou wast set on it last fall, like a wasp on sugar. Why
scarce a day past but thou wast up to the Rectory, to see the
Doctor about it; and now thou'rt like to get th'lotment thou'lt
not go anyst 'un."

Harry looked out at the open door, without answering. It was
quite true that, in the last autumn, he had been very anxious to
get as large an allotment as he could into his own hands, and
that he had been for ever up towards the Rectory, but perhaps not
always on the allotment business. He was naturally a
self-reliant, shrewd fellow, and felt that if he could put his
hand on th