s, and supported on
brick piers, the smith having screwed in a couple of taps for turning
off the communication in hot weather, and the fitting of the boiler; and
pipes through the little iron cistern at the highest point completing
the work.

"Ought by rights, sir, to stand for a few days for the mortar to set,"
said the bricklayer on leaving; and this opinion being conveyed to Aunt
Hannah, she undertook that Martha, should make shift in the back kitchen
for a day or two--just as they had during her absence.

"She will not like it, my dear," said Aunt Hannah, "but as there is no
muddle to clean up, and all looks right, I don't mind making her do
that."

"Real tyrant of the household, Vane," said the doctor. "Don't you ever
start housekeeping and have a cook."

Everything had been finished in such excellent time, consequent upon
certain bribery and corruption in the shape of half-crowns, that early
in the evening, Vane, free from all workmanlike traces, was able to
point triumphantly to the neat appearance of the job, and explain the
working of the supply cistern, and of the stop-cocks between the boiler
and the pipes to his aunt and uncle.

"I thought there ought only to be one tap," said Vane; "but they both
declared that there ought to be one to each pipe, so as to stop the
circulation; and as it only cost a few shillings more I didn't stop the
smith from putting it in."

"Humph!" said the doctor as Vane turned first one and then the other tap
on and off, "seems to work nice and easy."

"And it does look very much neater than all those bricks," said Aunt
Hannah. "But I must say one thing, my dear, though I don't like to damp
your project, it does smell very nasty indeed."

"Oh, aunt, dear," cried Vane merrily; "that's nothing: only the
Brunswick black with which they have painted the pipes. That smell will
all go off when it's hard and dry. That wants to dry slowly, too, so
you'll be sure and tell Martha about not lighting the fire."

"Oh, yes, my dear, I'll see to that."

"Then now I shall go up to the rectory and tell them I'm coming to
lessons in the morning, and--" he hesitated--"I think I shall give up
doing rough jobs for the future."

"Indeed," said the doctor with a humorous twinkle in his eye; "wouldn't
you like to take the church clock to pieces, and clean it and set it
going again?"

Vane turned sharply on his uncle with an appealing look.

"Now really, my dear, you shouldn't," cried A