ill, and
had pressed strongly on the old miller the necessity of getting
some legal assistance for his son. At first Mr. Brattle was stern,
immovable, and almost dumb. He sat on the bench outside his door,
with his eyes fixed on the dismantled mill, and shook his head
wearily, as though sick and sore with the words that were being
addressed to him. Mrs. Brattle the while stood in the doorway, and
listened without uttering a sound. If the parson could not prevail,
it would be quite out of the question that any word of hers should
do good. There she stood, wiping the tears from her eyes, looking on
wishfully, while her husband did not even know that she was there. At
last he rose from his seat, and hallooed to her. "Maggie," said he,
"Maggie." She stepped forward, and put her hand upon his shoulder.
"Bring me down the purse, mother," he said.

"There will be nothing of that kind wanted," said the parson.

"Them gentlemen don't work for such as our boy for nothin'," said the
miller. "Bring me the purse, mother, I say. There ar'n't much in it,
but there's a few guineas as 'll do for that, perhaps. As well pitch
'em away that way as any other."

Mr. Fenwick, of course, declined to take the money. He would make the
lawyer understand that he would be properly paid for his trouble,
and that for the present would suffice. Only, as he explained, it
was expedient that he should have the father's authority. Should
any question on the matter arise, it would be bettor for the young
man that he should be defended by his father's aid than by that
of a stranger. "I understand, Mr. Fenwick," said the old man,--"I
understand; and it's neighbourly of you. But it'd be better that
you'd just leave us alone to go out like the snuff of a candle."

"Father," said Fanny, "I won't have you speak in that way, making out
our Sam to be guilty before ere a one else has said so."

The miller shook his head again, but said nothing further, and the
parson, having received the desired authority, returned to the
Vicarage.

The attorney had been employed, and Sam had been remanded. There was
no direct evidence against him, and nothing could be done until the
other men should be taken, for whom they were seeking. The police had
tracked the two men back to a cottage, about fifteen miles distant
from Bullhampton, in which lived an old woman, who was the mother
of the Grinder. With Mrs. Burrows they found a young woman who had
lately come to live there