s like this, come
to look at it: who should work for 'e same as what I would? Who should
think for my wife's faither wi' more of his heart than me? I'd glory to
do a bit of work for 'e--aye, I would so, high or low; an' do it in a
way to make you rub your eyes!"

Billy saw the first-formed negative die still-born on his master's lips.
He began to cry out volubly that Monks Barton was over-manned, and that
scandal would blast every opening bud on the farm if such a thing
happened. Will glared at him, and in another moment Mr. Blee might have
suffered physically had not the miller lifted his hand and bid both be
silent.

For a full minute no man spoke, while in Mr. Lyddon's mind proceeded a
strange battle of ideas. Will's audacity awakened less resentment than
might have been foreseen. The man had bent before the shock of his
daughter's secret marriage and was now returning to his customary mental
condition. Any great altitude of love or extremity of hate was beyond
Mr. Lyddon's calibre. Life slipped away and left his forehead smooth.
Sorrow brought no great scars, joy no particular exaltation. This
temperament he had transmitted to Phoebe; and now she came into his mind
and largely influenced him. A dozen times he opened his mind to say
"No," but did not say it. Personal amiability could hardly have overcome
natural dislike of Blanchard at such a moment, but the unexpected
usually happens when weak natures are called upon to make sudden
decisions; and though such may change their resolve again and again at a
later date and before new aspects of the problem, their first hasty
determination will often be the last another had predicted from them.

A very curious result accrued from Mr. Lyddon's mental conflict, and it
was reached by an accidental train of thought. He told himself that his
conclusion was generous to the extreme of the Christian ideal; he
assured himself that few men so placed had ever before acted with such
notable magnanimity; but under this repeated mental asseveration there
spoke another voice which he stifled to the best of his power. The
utterance of this monitor may best be judged from what followed.

"If I gave you work you'd stand to it, Will Blanchard?" he asked at
length.

"Try me!"

"Whatsoever it might be?"

"Try me. Ban't for me to choose."

"I will, then. Come to-morrow by five, an' Billy shall show 'e what's to
do."

It would be difficult to say which, of those who heard the miller