ng lady--as at
least she believed. But sipping tea and nibbling biscuit went on in
company with thoughts.

"Sam, what are you bothering yourself about Mr. Linden for?"

"How long since you was made a trustee?" said the Squire, beginning his
sentence with an untranslatable sort of grunt, and ending it in his
teacup.

"Give us the sugar bowl down this way, Cilly," said Joe,--"this apple
sarce is as sour as sixty."

"I've been your trustee ever since you was up to anything," said his
sister. "Come Sam--don't you begin now. What's made you so crusty?"

"It aint the worst thing to be crusty," said the Squire, while Joe
started up and seized the sugar bowl. "Shews a man's more'n half baked,
any how."

Miss Cilly vouchsafed a rather sour smile to these manifestations of
disposition on the part of both her brothers.

"Well, what has he done?"

"Sure enough," said the Squire, (he kept his small stock of big words
for company) "what _has_ he done? That's just what I can't find out."

"What do you want to find out for? What ails him?"

"Suppose he hasn't done nothing"--said the Squire,--"is that the sort
o' man to teach litteratur in Pattaquasset?"

"Lit--_what?_" said his sister with an arch of her head.

"Anything you've a mind to," said the Squire sulkily.

"I wouldn't say anything against Mr. Linden's literature, if I was you;
because it's my belief, Sam, it'll stand any pecking you make at it.
What's given you such a spite at him? You're a goodnatured fellow
enough in general."

"The whole temperature of Pattaquasset's come about since _he_ come,"
replied the Squire comprehensively.

"He's a gentleman!" said Miss Cilly bridling again. "He won't hurt
anybody's manners--not the best--if they was to copy him."

"He didn't hurt mine," said Joe patronizingly. "To be sure I didn't go
to him long."

"Do the boys like him, Joe?"

"Well I daresay they wouldn't if they could help it," said Joe, "if
_that's_ any comfort. Some other folks likes him too,--besides Sam."

"Aint he a good teacher?"

"Firstrate--" said Joe, "taught me all _I_ ever learned. I didn't go
but four weeks, and Sam thought 'twarn't no use for me to hold on any
longer. My! Cilly--he'd make you roll up your eyes in arithmetic!"

"Now Sam Deacon, what do you expect to do by all this fuss you're
making?" said his sister judicially.

"What's the use of cross-examining a man at that rate?" said the Squire
restlessly. "When I do anything, you'l