over with Mr. Cartwright to his mill at Liversedge and
obtained many a useful hint there as to the management of his business.
Only in the matter of having some of his hands to sleep at the mill Ned
declined to act on the advice of his new friend.

"No," he said; "I am determined that I will have no lives risked in the
defense of our property. It has cost us dearly enough already."

But though Ned refused to have any of his hands to sleep at the mill, he
had a bed fitted up in his office, and every night at ten o'clock, after
Charlie had gone to bed, he walked out to the mill and slept there:
Heavy shutters were erected to all the lower windows, and bells were
attached to these and to the doors, which would ring at the slightest
motion.

A cart one evening arrived from Huddersfield after the hands had left
the mill, and under Ned's direction a number of small barrels were
carried up to his office.

Although three months had now elapsed since his return home he had never
once seen his mother, and the knowledge that she still regarded him as
the murderer of her husband greatly added to the bitterness of his life.
Of an evening after Lucy had gone to bed he assisted Charlie with
his lessons, and also worked for an hour with Bill Swinton, who came
regularly every evening to be taught.

Bill had a strong motive for self improvement. Ned had promised him that
some day he should be foreman to the factory, but that before he could
take such a position it would, of course, be necessary that he should
be able to read and write well. But an even higher incentive was Bill's
sense of his great inferiority in point of education to Polly Powlett.
He entertained a deep affection for her, but he knew how she despised
the rough and ignorant young fellows at Varley, and he felt that even if
she loved him she would not consent to marry him unless he were in point
of education in some way her equal; therefore he applied himself with
all his heart to improving his education.

It was no easy task, for Bill was naturally somewhat slow and heavy; but
he had perseverance, which makes up for many deficiencies, and his heart
being in his work he made really rapid progress.

Sometimes Ned would start earlier than usual, and walk up with Bill
Swinton, talking to him as they went over the subjects on which he had
been working, the condition of the villagers, or the results of Bill's
Sunday rambles over the moors.

On arriving at Varley Ned