There was Muster Brandon, who never come here at
all, but had a curate who lived away to Hinton. He come after Parson
Smallbones."

"It was Parson Smallbones who kept the sheep?"

"And then there was Muster Threepaway, who was parson well nigh
thirty years afore Muster Fenwick come. He died up at Parsonage
House, did Muster Threepaway."

"He didn't keep sheep?"

"No; he kep' no sheep as ever I heard tell on. He didn't keep much
barring hisself,--didn't Muster Threepaway. He had never no child,
nor yet no wife, nor nothing at all, hadn't Muster Threepaway. But he
was a good man as didn't go meddling with folk."

"But Parson Smallbones was a bit of a farmer?"

"Ay, ay. Parsons in them days warn't above a bit of farming. I warn't
much more than a scrap of a boy, but I remember him. He wore a wig,
and old black gaiters; and knew as well what was his'n and what
wasn't as any parson in Wiltshire. Tithes was tithes then; and parson
was cute enough in taking on 'em."

"But these sheep of his were his own, I suppose?"

"Whose else would they be, sir?"

"And did he fence them in on that bit of ground?"

"There'd be a boy with 'em, I'm thinking, sir. There wasn't so much
fencing of sheep then as there be now. Boys was cheaper in them
days."

"Just so; and the parson wouldn't allow other sheep there?"

"Muster Smallbones mostly took all he could get, sir."

"Exactly. The parsons generally did, I believe. It was the way in
which they followed most accurately the excellent examples set them
by the bishops. But, Mr. Brattle, it wasn't in the way of tithes that
he had this grass for his sheep?"

"I can't say how he had it, nor yet how Muster Fenwick has the
meadows t'other side of the river, which he lets to farmer Pierce;
but he do have 'em, and farmer Pierce do pay him the rent."

"Glebe land, you know," said Mr. Quickenham.

"That's what they calls it," said the miller.

"And none of the vicars that came after old Smallbones have ever done
anything with that bit of ground?"

"Ne'er a one on'em. Mr. Brandon, as I tell 'ee, never come nigh the
place. I don't know as ever I see'd him. It was him as they made
bishop afterwards, some'eres away in Ireland. He had a lord to his
uncle. Then Muster Threepaway, he was here ever so long."

"But he didn't mind such things."

"He never owned no sheep; and the old 'oomen's cows was let to go on
the land, as was best, and then the boys took to playing hopskotch
there, w