emp being friendly with Mrs
Machin, and the mother of Jock, the Countess's carriage-footman, whom
Denry had known from boyhood. Second, that a few days later, when Jock
came over to see his mother, Denry was present, and that subsequently
Denry and Jock went for a stroll together in the cemetery, the principal
resort of strollers in Bursley. Third, that on the afternoon of the
opening ceremony the Countess's carriage broke down in Sneyd Vale, two
miles from Sneyd and three miles from Hanbridge. Fourth, that five
minutes later Denry, all in his best clothes, drove up behind his mule.
Fifth, that Denry drove right past the breakdown, apparently not
noticing it. Sixth, that Jock, touching his hat to Denry as if to a
stranger (for, of course, while on duty a footman must be dead to all
humanities), said:

"Excuse me, sir," and so caused Denry to stop.

These are the simple facts.

Denry looked round with that careless half-turn of the upper part of the
body which drivers of elegant equipages affect when their attention is
called to something trifling behind them. The mule also looked round--it
was a habit of the mule's--and if the dog had been there the dog would
have shown an even livelier inquisitiveness; but Denry had left the
faithful animal at home.

"Good-afternoon, Countess," he said, raising his hat, and trying to
express surprise, pleasure, and imperturbability all at once.

The Countess of Chell, who was standing in the road, raised her lorgnon,
which was attached to the end of a tortoiseshell pole about a foot long,
and regarded Denry. This lorgnon was a new device of hers, and it was
already having the happy effect of increasing the sale of long-handled
lorgnons throughout the Five Towns.

"Oh! it's you, is it?" said the Countess. "I see you've grown a beard."

It was just this easy familiarity that endeared her to the district. As
observant people put it, you never knew what she would say next, and yet
she never compromised her dignity.

"Yes," said Denry. "Have you had an accident?"

"No," said the Countess, bitterly: "I'm doing this for idle amusement."

The horses had been taken out, and were grazing by the roadside like
common horses. The coachman was dipping his skirts in the mud as he bent
down in front of the carriage and twisted the pole to and fro and round
about and round about. The footman, Jock, was industriously watching
him.

"It's the pole-pin, sir," said Jock.

Denry descended fro