liable yourself if you doan't help."

"Caan't wait no more," declared Mr. Chown. "If he's in bed, us'll take
un in bed. Come on, you!"

Thus ordered to proceed, Lamacraft set his face resolutely forward and
was just entering the farm when Phoebe appeared. Her tears were dry,
though her voice was unsteady and her eyelids red.

"Gude mornin', Mr. Chown," she said.

"Marnin', ma'am. Let us pass, if you please."

"Are you coming in? Why?"

"Us caan't bide no more, an' us caan't give no more reasons. The Law
ban't 'spected to give reasons for its deeds, an' us won't be bamboozled
an' put off a minute longer," answered Chown grimly. "March, I tell 'e,
Peter Lamacraft."

"You caan't see my husband."

"But we'm gwaine to see un. He've got to see me, an' come along wi' me,
tu. An' if he's wise, he'll come quiet an' keep his mouth shut. That
much I'll tell un for his gude."

"If you'll listen, I might make you onderstand how 'tis you caan't see
Will," said Phoebe quietly. "You must knaw he runned away an' went
soldiering before he married me. Then he comed back for love of me
wi'out axin' any man's leave."

"So much the worse, ma'am; he'm a desarter!"

"The dark wickedness!" gasped Mr. Blee; "an' him dumb as a newt 'bout it
all these years an' years! The conscience of un!"

"Well, you needn't trouble any more," continued Phoebe to the policemen.
"My husband be gwaine to take this matter into his awn hands now."

Inspector Chown laughed.

"That's gude, that is!--now he 'm blawn upon!"

"He 's gwaine to give himself up--he caan't do more," said Phoebe,
turning to her father who now reappeared.

"Coourse he caan't do more. What more do 'e want?" the miller inquired.

"Him," answered Mr. Chown. "No more an' no less; an' everything said
will be used against him."

"You glumpy auld Dowl!" growled a labouring man.

"All right, all right. You just wait, all of 'e! Wheer's the man? How
much longer be I to bide his pleasure? March! Damn it all! be the Law a
laughing-stock?" The Inspector was growing very hot and excited.

"He's gone," said Phoebe, as Mr. Lamacraft entered the farm, put one
foot on the bottom step of the stairs, then turned for further orders.
"He's gone, before light. He rested two hours or so, then us harnessed
the trap an' he drove away to Moreton to take fust train to Plymouth by
way o' Newton Abbot. An' he said as Ted Chown was to go in arter
breakfast an' drive the trap home."

"Couldn't tel