nted with unutterable scorn to the road down which Edward
Cossey had vanished.

"Now, look here," said the Squire, "don't you stand talking all day
about things you don't understand. That's the way you waste time. You
be off and look after this gold; it should not be left alone, you
know. We will come down presently to Molehill, for I suppose that is
where it is. No, I can't stop to hear the story now, and besides I
want Colonel Quaritch to tell it to me."

"All right, Squire," said George, touching his red nightcap, "I'll be
off," and he started.

"George," halloaed his master after him, but George did not stop. He
had a trick of deafness when the Squire was calling, that is if he
wanted to go somewhere else.

"Confound you," roared the old gentleman, "why don't you stop when I
call you?"

This time George brought his long lank frame to a standstill.

"Beg pardon, Squire."

"Beg pardon, yes--you're always begging pardon. Look here, you had
better bring your wife and have dinner in the servants' hall to-day,
and drink a glass of port."

"Thank you, Squire," said George again, touching his red nightcap.

"And look here, George. Give me your hand, man. Here's a merry
Christmas to you. We've gone through some queerish times about this
place together, but now it almost looks as though we were going to end
our days in peace and plenty."

"Same to you, Squire, I'm sure, same to you," said George, pulling off
his cap. "Yes, yes, we've had some bad years, what with poor Mr. James
and that Quest and Cossey (he's the master varmint of the lot he is),
and the bad times, and Janter, and the Moat Farm and all. But, bless
you, Squire, now that there'll be some ready money and no debts, why,
if I don't make out somehow so that you all get a good living out of
the place I'm a Dutchman. Why, yes, it's been a bad time and we're
a-getting old, but there, that's how it is, the sky almost allus
clears toward night-fall. God Almighty hev a mind to let one down
easy, I suppose."

"If you would talk a little less about your Maker, and come to church
a little more, it would be a good thing, as I've told you before,"
said the Squire; "but there, go along with you."

And the honest fellow went.

CHAPTER XLIV

CHRISTMAS CHIMES

The Squire turned and entered the house. He generally was fairly noisy
in his movements, but on this occasion he was exceptionally so.
Possibl