Joseph. He presently came in to breakfast, which was as ample a
meal as the supper had been.

Kezia put a small paper parcel into Owen's pocket.

"That will be for your dinner," she said; "you'll want something before
you come back, and you'll get nothing there fit to eat. It's as bad to
let growing boys starve as to leave plants without water, as Joseph
Crump says," and she looked hard at her master.

"Kezia's a wonderful woman," remarked Mr Fluke, after she had left the
room. "I have a great respect for her, as you see. She is worth her
weight in gold; she keeps everything in order, her husband and me to
boot. Years ago, before she came to me, I had a large black tom cat; he
was somewhat of a pet, and as I kept him in order, he always behaved
properly in my presence. He had, however, a great hatred of all
strangers, especially of the woman kind, and no female beggar ever came
to the door but he went out and arched his back, and spat and screeched
and hissed at her until she took her departure. When I engaged Kezia
and Joseph Crump, I thought Tom would understand that they were inmates
of the house, and behave properly. But the very first time Kezia went
upstairs, after she and her husband had installed themselves in their
room below, there was Tom standing on the landing with his back up
lashing his tail, and making a most hideous noise. Most women would
have turned round and run down again, or perhaps tumbled over and broken
their necks; but Kezia advanced, keeping her eye on Tom, and as he
sprang at her, she guessing that he would do so, seized him by the neck
and held him at arm's length until every particle of breath was squeezed
out of his body. `There,' she exclaimed, as she threw him over the
banisters, `two cannot rule in one house,' and she went upstairs and
commenced her work. When I arrived at home, and saw Tom lying dead on
the floor, I asked who had killed the cat. `I killed him,' answered
Kezia, and she then told me how it had happened. `If you think I was
wrong, and don't like it, give me a month's warning; I am ready to go,'
she said. I didn't say a word in reply, and I tell you I have a greater
respect for that woman than for any of her sex, and maybe I have more
fear of her than I ever had of old Tom, who, once or twice, until I
taught him better manners, had shown his evil disposition even to me."

"Mrs Kezia is a very kind, good woman," observed Owen; "I am sure of
that."

"She'