an't see him."

"How long will he be?"

"I d'know. P'raps he won't come back no more, so you needn't come
poking about here."

"When did he go out last?" said Uncle Richard.

"Last week I think, but my mind arn't good now at figgers. Tell me what
you want, and if ever I see him again I'll tell him."

"We are wasting time, Tom," said Uncle Richard in a whisper.

"Yes," said the old woman viciously; "you're wasting time. It's no use
for you to come here to try and get things to say again my poor boy. I
know you and your ways. You want to get him sent away, I know; and
you're not going to do it. I know you all--parson and doctor, and you,
Brandon, you're all against my poor innocent boy; but you're not going
to hurt him, for you've got me to reckon with first."

"Your sight and hearing seem to have come back pretty readily, Mrs
Warboys."

"You never mind that," cried the old woman. "I know what I'm saying,
and I'm not afraid of any of you."

Just then one of the women from the next cottages came out and curtseyed
to them.

"Don't take any notice of what she says, sir. She's a bit put out
to-day."

"So it seems," said Uncle Richard. "Let me see, Mrs Deane, isn't it?"

"Yes, sir," said the woman, smiling.

"You can tell me then where is Pete Warboys?"

The old woman literally shrieked out--

"Let her say a word if she dares. She'd better. She hasn't forgotten
what I did to--Ah! look at that."

She uttered the last words triumphantly, for the woman turned and ran
hurriedly into her cottage.

"Come along, Tom," said Uncle Richard; "we are doing no good here;" and
he turned and led the way down toward the gate, with the old woman
shrieking out a torrent of words after them, and playing an
accompaniment formed of slaps upon the door till they were out of
hearing.

"What a terrible old woman!" said Tom at last. "That Mrs Deane seemed
quite frightened of her."

"Yes; the poor ignorant people here believe that she has the power to do
them harm; and in spite of all Mr Maxted tells them, he cannot shake
their faith."

"What shall you do now, uncle?"

"Nothing, my boy, upon second thoughts. I am afraid we should not be
able to prove that this young scoundrel did the mischief without calling
in the police, and that I am very loth to do."

"But he ought not to be allowed to go about doing such things as that,
uncle," said Tom warmly. "It gets the wrong people suspected."

"Yes," said Uncle R