arly _and_ early," said the farmer. "What I might take you
on trial for would be to drive the milk-cart to and fro the station.
There's four sendings in all--full and empty together. And the first
time is for the up-train that passes Shalecray at half-past five."

Geoff shivered a little. But it would not do to seem daunted.

"I'll be punctual," he said.

"And of course, between times you'd have to make yourself useful about
the dairy, and the pigs--you'd have to see to the pigs, and to make
yourself useful," repeated the farmer, whose power of expressing himself
was limited.

"Of course," agreed Geoff as heartily as he could, though, truth to
tell, the idea of pigs had not hitherto presented itself to him.

"Well," Farmer Eames went on, turning towards Jowett, "I dunno as I mind
giving him a trial, seeing as I'm just short of a boy as it happens.
And for the station work, it's well to have a sharpish lad, and a
civil-spoken one. You'll have to keep a civil tongue in your head, my
boy--eh?"

"Certainly," said Geoff, but not without a slight touch of haughtiness.
"Of course I'll be civil to every one who's civil to me."

"And who isn't civil to thee, maybe, now and then," said the farmer,
with a rather curious smile. "'Twon't be all walking on roses--nay,
'twon't be all walking on roses to be odd boy in a farm. But there's
many a one as'd think himself uncommon lucky to get the chance, I can
tell you."

"Oh, and so I do," said Geoff, eagerly. "I do indeed. I think it's
awfully good of you to try me; and you'll see I'm not afraid of work."

"And what about his character?" said the farmer, speaking again to
Jowett. "Can you answer for his honesty?--that's the principal thing."

Geoff's cheeks flamed, and he was starting forward indignantly, when a
word or two whispered, sternly almost, in his ear by Jowett, forced him
to be quiet. "Don't be an idiot! do you want to spoil all your chances?"
he said. And something in the tone again struck Geoff with surprise. He
could scarcely believe it was the simple young countryman who was
speaking.

"I don't think you need be uneasy on that score," he said. "You see it's
all come about in a rather--uncommon sort of way."

"I should rather think so," said the farmer, shrugging his shoulders,
but smiling too.

"And," pursued Jowett, "you'll have to stretch a point or two. Of course
he'll want very little in the way of wages to begin."

"Half-a-crown a week and his victual