s was quite lost, Stephen rubbed his
eyes for a moment, and then turned to Martha and Tim.

'Is she a real woman, dost think?' he asked.

'A real woman!' repeated Martha rather scornfully; 'of course she is; and
it's a real silk gown she had on, I can tell thee. Spirits don't go about
in silk gowns and broad daylight, never as I heard tell of, lad.'

CHAPTER VI.

THE RED GRAVEL PIT.

At the entrance of the lane leading down to the works at Botfield there
stood a small square building, which was used as the weighing-house for
the coal and lime fetched from the pits, and as the pay-office on the
reckoning Saturday, which came once a fortnight. Upon the Saturday
evening after his interview with the master, Stephen loitered in the lane
with a very heavy heart, afraid of facing Mr. Wyley, lest he should
receive the sentence of dismission from the pit. He did not know what he
could turn his hand to if he should be discharged from what had been his
work since he was eight years old; for even if he could get a place in
one of the farmhouses about as waggoner's boy, he would not earn more
than three shillings a week; and how very little that would do towards
providing food for the three mouths at home! Fearful of knowing the
worst, he lingered about the office until all the other workmen had been
in and come out again jingling their wages.

But the master and his brother Thomas had been taking counsel together
about the matter. Mr. Wyley was for turning the boy off at once, and
reducing him to the utmost straits of poverty; but his more prudent
brother was opposed to this plan.

'Look here, brother James,' he said; 'if we drive the young scamp to
desperation, there's no telling what he will do. Ten to one if he does
not go and tell a string of lies to some of the farmers about here, or
perhaps to the parson at Longville, and they may make an unpleasant
disturbance. Nobody knows and nobody cares about him as it is; but he is
a determined young fellow, or I'm mistaken. Better keep him at work under
your own eye, and make the place too hot for him by degrees. Before long
you will catch him poaching with his dog, and if he is let off for a time
or two because of his youth, and goes at it again, we can make out a
pretty case of juvenile depravity, without any character from his
employer, you know; and so he will be sent out of the way, and boarded at
the expense of the country for a few years or so.'

'Well,' said th