ctory.

"And I have made a pretty big fool of myself this afternoon," was his
mental comment as he let the gate clang behind him. "I first lost my
temper, and then let a woman twist me round her finger simply because
she is beautiful."

Needless to relate he made no confession of his folly to Sally when he
got home that night. He resolved simply to change his tactics about
the people at the Court, and preserve safe silence about his altered
mind.

The following afternoon he stopped at the forge to speak to the
blacksmith about some repairs that were to be set on foot on his
premises. Allison stood at the open door of the smithy with his head
turned in the opposite direction from the squire, looking after the
rector, who had just left him, with something of the sullen
satisfaction with which a bulldog might regard a vanquished foe.
Indignation still simmered when Paul accosted him. One glance at the
purple face showed the squire that, for some reason as yet unknown, the
blacksmith was in a towering passion.

"Confound his impudence!" he said, throwing a dark look after the
rector. "I've let him know once for all that I'll have no more of it!
I'm not answerable to him, nor any man, for what I says and does. His
business, indeed, to come and tell me, if I choose to have a bit of fun
with a young fellow in a public-house. What does it hurt him to be
drunk for once in his life? A lesson I call it! just a bit of a lesson
as will teach him that his head ain't so strong as mine, nor likely to
be till he gets seasoned a bit. I give it him straight enough, and no
humbug about it. 'Look here, sir,' I says, 'you go your way, and leave
me to go mine. I don't deny as you've been kind to my old mother, and
she'd fret sore if she didn't see you. Psalm-singing and such comes
natural-like to most women; but for my part I want nothing better than
to be letted alone.'"

Allison came to a stop; breath rather than words had failed him. Paul,
who had been an unwilling listener to this tirade against the rector,
took advantage of the pause to turn the subject.

"Afraid I can't attend to you this afternoon sir," said Allison, when
Paul stated the object of his call. "Reason why, my mates are out for
a holiday, and this mare here is just brought in to be shod. I said at
first I would not do her to-day; she's a savage brute to tackle alone.
I don't let any one touch her but myself when the men are here. It's
wonderful now