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ind to breakfast on strychnine； you tell me； and I'll put a pinch of arsenic in the salt…cellar； and cure him safe as the bank。 But this time he'd have been did and stiff long before such a slow ajint as arsenic could get a hold on um。〃
They sat down to luncheon； but neither Alfred nor Julia fed much； except upon sweet stolen looks； and soon the active Sampson jumped up； and invited Alfred to go round his patients。 Alfred could not decline； but made his adieux with regret so tender and undisguised； that Julia's sweet eyes filled； and her soft hand instinctively pressed his at parting to console him。 She blushed at herself afterwards； but at the time she was thinking only of him。
Maxley and his wife came up in the evening with a fee。 They had put their heads together； and proffered one guinea。 〃Man and wife be one flesh； you know； Doctor；〃 said the rustic miser。
Sampson； whose natural choler was constantly checked by his humour； declined this profuse proposal。 〃Here's vanity！〃 said he。 〃Now do you really think your two lives are worth a guinea？ Why； it's 252 pence！ 1008 farthings！〃
The pair affected disappointmentvilely。
At all events； he must accept this basket of gudgeons Maxley had brought along。 Being poisoned was quite out of Maxley's daily routine； and had so unsettled him； that he had got up； and gone fishingto the amazement of the parish。
Sampson inspected the basket。 〃Why； they are only fish；〃 said he； _〃I was in hopes they were pashints。_〃 He accepted the gudgeons； and inquired how Maxley got poisoned。 It came out that Mrs。 Maxley； seeing her husband set apart a portion of his Welsh rabbit； had 〃grizzled；〃 and asked what that was for； and being told 〃for the mouse；〃 and to 〃mind her own business；〃 had grizzled still more； and furtively conveyed a portion back into the pan for her master's own use。 She had been quaking dismally all the afternoon at what she had done； but finding Maxleyhard but justdid not attack her for an involuntary fault； she now brazened it out； and said； 〃Men didn't ought to have poison in the house unbeknown to their wives。 Jem had got no more than he worked for；〃 &c。 But； like a woman； she vowed vengeance on the mouse： whereupon Maxley threatened her with the marital correction of neck…twisting if she laid a finger on it。
〃My eyes be open now to what a poor creature do feel as dies poisoned。 Let her a be： there's room in our place for her and we。〃
Next day he met Alfred； and thanked him with warmth； almost with emotion。 〃There ain't many in Barkington as ever done me a good turn； Master Alfred； you be one on 'em： you comes after the Captain in my book now。〃
Alfred suggested that his claims were humble compared with Sampson's。
〃No； no；〃 said Maxley； going down to his whisper； and looking； monstrous wise： 〃Doctor didn't go out of his business for me： you did。〃
The sage miser's gratitude had not time to die a natural death before circumstances occurred to test it。 On the morning of that eventful day which concluded my last chapter； he received a letter from Canada。 His wife was out with eggs； so he caught little Rose Sutton； that had more than once spelled an epistle for him； and she read it out in a loud and reckless whine： 〃'At noon this very daie Muster Hardie's a…g…e…n…t； aguent d…i…s dis； h…o…n honour_ed_ dis…honour_ed_abill； and sayed。'〃 Here she made a full stop。 Then on to the next verse。
〃'There were no more asses。'〃
〃Mercy on us！ but it can't be asses； wench： drive your spe…ad into't again。〃
〃'A…s…s…e…t…s。 Assets。'〃
〃Ah！ Go an！ go an！〃
〃'Now Fatther if you leave a s…h…i…l…l…i…n…g； shilling at Hardie's after this b…l…a…m…e； ble…am your self not me for this is the waie the r…o…g…u…e…s； rogews all bre…ak they go at a d…i…s…t…a…n…c…e； distance first and then at h…o…m…e； whuoame。 Dear fatther' Lawk o' daisy； what ails you； Daddy Maxley？ You be as white as a Sunday smock。 Be you poisoned again； if _you_ please？〃
〃Worse than thatworse！〃 groaned Maxhey； trembling all over。 〃Hush！hold your tongue！ Give me that letter！ Don't you never tell nobody nothing of what you have been a reading to me； and I'llI'llIt's only Jem's fun： he is allus running his rigsthat's a good wench now； and I'll give ye a halfpenny。〃
〃La； Daddy；〃 said the child； opening her eyes； 〃I never heeds what I _re…ads：_ I be wrapped up in the spelling。 Dear heart； what a sight of long words folks puts in a letter； more than ever drops out of their mouths； which their fingers be longer than their tongues； I do suppose。〃
Maxley hailed thus information characteristically。 〃Then we'll say no more about the halfpenny。〃
At this； Rose raised a lamentable cry； and pearly tears gushed forth。
〃There； there！〃 said Maxley； deprecatingly； 〃here's two apples for ye； ye can't get them for less： and a halfpenny or a haporth is all one to you； but it is a great odds to me。 And apples they rot； halfpence don't。〃
It was now nine o'clock。 The bank did not open till ten； but Maxley went and hung about the door； to be the first applicant。
As he stood there trembling with fear lest the bank should not open at all； he thought hard； and the result was a double resolution： he would have his money out to the last shilling； and； this done； would button up his pockets and padlock his tongue。 It was not his business to take care of his neighbours； nor to blow the Hardies； if they paid him his money on demand。 〃So not a word to my missus； nor yet to the town…crier；〃 said he。
Ten o'clock struck； and the bank shutters remained up。 Five minutes more； and the watcher was in agony。 Three minutes more； and up came a boy of sixteen whistling； and took down the shutters with an indifference that amazed him。 〃Bless your handsome face！〃 said Maxley with a sigh of relief。
He now summoned up all his firmness； and； having recourse to an art in which these shrewd rustics are supreme； made his face quite inexpressive； and so walked into the bank the every…day Maxley externally； but within a volcano ready to burst if there should be the slightest hesitation to pay him his money。
〃Good morning； Mr。 Maxley；〃 said young Skinner。
〃Good morning； sir。〃
〃What can we do for you？〃
〃Oh； I'll wait my turn； sir。〃
〃Well； it is your turn now； if you like。〃
〃How much have you got of mine； if you please； sir？〃
〃Your balance？ I'll see。 Nine hundred and four pounds。〃
〃Well； sir； then； if _you_ please； I'll draa _that。_〃
（〃It has come！〃 thought Skinner。） 〃What； going to desert us？〃 he stammered。
〃No；〃 said the other； trembling inwardly； but not moving a facial muscle： 〃it is only for a day or two； sir。〃
〃Ah！ I see； going to make a purchase。 By…the…bye； I believe Mr。 Hardie means to offer you some grounds he is buying outside the town： will that suit your book？〃
〃I dare say it will； sir。〃
〃Then perhaps you will wait till our governor comes in？〃
〃I have no objection。〃
〃He won't be long。 Fine weather for the gardens； Mr。 Maxley。〃
〃Moderate； sir。 I'll take my money if you please。 Counting it out； that will help pass the time till Muster Hardie comes。 You han't made away with it？〃
〃What d'ye mean； sir？〃
〃Hardies bain't turned thieves； be they？〃
〃Are you mad or intoxicated； Mr。 Maxley？〃
'Neither； sir； but I wants my own； and I wool have it too： so count out on this here counter； or I'll cry the town round that there door。〃
〃Henry； score James Maxley's name off the books；〃 said Skinner with cool dignity。 But when he had said this； he was at his wits' end： there were not nine hundred pounds of hard cash in the bank； nor anything like it。
CHAPTER XVI
SKINNERcalled 〃young〃 because he had once had a father on the premiseswas the mole…catcher。 The feelings with which he had now for some months watched his master grubbing were curiously mingled。 There was the grim sense of superiority every successful detective feels as he sees the watched one working away unconscious of the eye that is on him； but this was more than balanced by a long habit of obsequious reverence。 When A。 has been looking up to B。 for thirty years； he cannot look down on him all of a sudden； merely because he catches him falsifying accounts。 Why； Man is a cooking animal： bankrupt Man especially。
And then Richard Hardie overpowered Skinner's senses： he was Dignity in person： he was six feet two； and always wore a black surtout buttoned high； and a hat with a brim a little broader than his neighbours'； yet not broad enough to be eccentric or slang。 He moved down the street touching his hatwhile other hats were lifted high to hima walking volume of cash。 And when he took off this ebon crown and sat in the bank parlour； he gained in appearance more than he lost； for then his whole head was seen； long； calm； majestic： that senatorial front and furrowed face overawed all comers。 Even the little sharp…faced clerk would stand and peep at it； utterly puzzled between what he knew and what he eyed： nor could he look at that head and face without excusing them。 What a lot of money they must have sunk before they came down to fabricating a balance…sheet！
And by…and…bye custom somewhat blunted his sense of the dishonesty； and he began to criticise the thing arithmetically ins