near_." Un' Benny's eyes twinkled a moment. "It does
'em good, too, to take a rest now an' then, an' smoke a pipe, an'
praise the Lord that made 'em Englishmen."

Mr Pamphlett detested Un' Benny's conversation. It always struck him
as significantly meaningless. Again he addressed himself to the
other men.

"What Rowett says about the fish is true enough, I dare say.
When they hear all this noise--"

But Un' Benny took him up, blandly as before. "There's a man, down
to Mevegissey," he said, "that holds 'tis no question of hearin', or
of what you and I do call hearin'. Accordin' to him the fish have a
sixth sense, denied to ordinary Christians--"

"I don't want to hear what this or that fool says at Mevegissey--"

"He's a County Councillor," murmured Un' Benny. "But, to be sure, it
don't follow."

"What _I_ say," pursued Mr Pamphlett, shaking a forefinger at the
group, "is that Rowett may be his own master, but the rest of you
mustn't take it into your heads that because our country happens to
be at war you've an excuse to be idle. 'Business as usual'--that's
my motto: and I doubt if Rowett here will find you a better-paying
one, however long you listen to him." On secure ground now, Mr
Pamphlett faced about, challenging the old man.

"Heigh?" said Un' Benny with a well-affected start of surprise.
"There now!--and I was allowin' you'd had enough o' my chatter.
'Business as usual'"--he looked closely at Mr Pamphlett, and so let
his gaze travel down the street, till it rested meditatively on the
Bank doorway. "'Business as usual' . . . aye to be sure!
Well, well!"

There was nothing in this upon which Mr Pamphlett could retort.
So, after wagging his forefinger again at the group of men, he turned
and left them.

On his way back he came face to face with Nicky-Nan, still solitary
and seated on his bollard; and pulled up before him.

"Oh, by the way, Nanjivell!--I hope you understand that the ejectment
order still holds, and that I can take possession of the premises at
any time?"

"That's as may be," answered Nicky-Nan slowly. "You tell me so, and
I hear you."

"I tell you so, and it's the law. . . . But I've no wish to be hard,
even after the trouble you've given me; and moreover this War may--
er--tend to interpose some delay in one or two small matters I
was--er--projecting. 'Business as usual' is, and has been--as I have
just been telling those fellows yonder--my motto since the early days