rn," said Joseph, decidedly. "A bargain's a bargain."

"Certainly, certainly," returned his lordship, "a bargain _is_ a
bargain, Joseph." He sat down upon one of the lower rungs of the ladder
and fanned himself with a pocket-handkerchief. "But you know, Joseph,"
he began again after a pause, "nobody pushes a bargain too hard. If you
carry the ladder this time I will carry it next. Come now--what do you
say to that?"

"It's a quarter of a mile from here to Willis's," said Joseph, "and it
ain't five score yards from theer to the Tan-yard. Theer's some," he
added, with an almost philosophic air, "as knows when they are well
off."

"I'll give you an extra penny," said his lordship, condescending to
bargain.

"I'll do it for a extry sixpince," replied Joseph.

"I'll make it twopence," said his lordship--"twopence and a screw of
snuff."

"I'll do it for a extry sixpince," Joseph repeated, doggedly.

_Noblesse oblige_. There was a point beyond which the Earl of Barfield
could not haggle. He surrendered, but it galled him, and the agreeable
sense of humor with which he commonly regarded Joseph Beaker failed him
for the rest of that afternoon. It happened, also, that the people
who remained to be encountered one and all opposed him, and with the
exception of his triumph over the Widow Hotchkiss the day was a day of
failure.

When, therefore, his lordship turned his steps homeward he was in a
mood to be tart with anybody, and it befell that Ferdinand was the first
person on whom he found an opportunity of venting his gathered sours.
The young gentleman heaved in sight near the lodge gates, smoking a
cigar and gazing about him with an air of lazy nonchalance which had
very much the look of being practised in hours of private leisure.
Behind him came the valet, bearing the big square color-box, the
camp-stool, and the clumsy field easel.

"Daubing again, I presume?" said his lordship, snappishly.

"Yes," said Ferdinand, holding his cigar at arm's-length and flicking at
the ash with his little finger, "daubing again."

His lordship felt the tone and gesture to be irritating and offensive.

"Joseph Beaker," he said, "take the ladder to the stables. I have done
with you for to-day. Upon my word, Ferdinand," he continued, when Joseph
had shambled through the gateway with the ladder, "I think you answer
me with very little consideration, for--in short, I think your manner a
little wanting in--I don't care to be addressed