, and serve me right. They'd say: `There's that chap Tuvvy
can do as he likes, and drink and leave his master in the lurch, and yet
he's no worse off. Why shouldn't we do the same? What's the good of
being sober and steady, and sticking to our work, if we don't get
anything by it?'"

"But I'm sure," said Dennis eagerly, "they'd all like Tuvvy to stop."

"That's the worst of it," said Mr Solace, with an annoyed jerk of his
head. "I should like him to stop too. He's such a clever rascal with
his head as well as his hands. A hint does for him, where another man
wants telling all the ins and outs of a thing, and doesn't get it right
in the end. Tuvvy's got a head on his shoulders, and turns out his work
just as it ought to be. It's a pleasure to see it. But then, perhaps
just at a busy time when we're wanting some job he's at, he'll break out
and have a regular fit of drinking for the best part of a week, and
leave us all in the lurch. It's no use. I can't and won't put up with
it, and I oughtn't to."

The farmer spoke as though arguing with his own weakness rather than
with Dennis, who now ventured to ask: "If all the others wanted him to
stay, would you let him?"

"I'll have nothing to do with asking them," said the farmer, spreading
out his hands. "I'll have nothing more to do with Tuvvy at all. I've
given him up. Now you run away, my boy, and let me get to my business."

Dennis stood for a minute, half uncertain whether he should put some
more questions; but Mr Solace sat down to his desk, and grasped his pen
with such determination, that he did not dare to make another attempt,
and unwillingly left the office.

He did not, however, entirely give up hope. Dennis was a stubborn
little boy, and when he had fixed his mind upon a thing, he did not soon
leave off trying to get it. Could Aunt Katharine help him, he wondered,
as he and Maisie ran home together. At any rate he would tell her all
about it, and ask for her advice. But when she had heard the story,
Aunt Katharine did not seem to have much advice to give.

"I don't think you must worry Mr Solace any more, Dennis," she said.
"He knows best how to manage his own affairs and his own men. A little
boy like you can't understand such things. If the wheelwright behaves
badly, of course he must lose his place."

"But," persisted Dennis, "Mr Solace really does want to keep him, I
know, only he says it isn't fair to the other men."

"Well, you'd