"True, Henery, you do, I've heard ye," said Joseph Poorgrass, in a Toice of thorough attestation, and with a wire-drawn smile of misery.

""Twould do a martel man no harm to have what's under her bonnet,' aid Billy Smallbury, who had just entered, bearing his one tooth before im. "She can spaik real language, and must have some sense somethere. Do ye conceive me?"

"I do, I do; but no baily-I deserved that place," wailed Henery, ignifying wasted genius by gazing blankly at visions of a high destiny pparently visible to him on Billy Smallbury's smockfrock. "There, was to be, I suppose. Your lot is your lot, and Scripture is nothing; r if you do good you don't get rewarded according to your works, but re cheated in some mean way out of your recompense."

"No, no; I don't agree with'ee there," said Mark Clark, decisively. God's a perfect gentleman in that respect."

"Good works good pay, so to speak it," attested Joseph Poorgrass. A short pause ensued, and as a sort of entr'acte Henery turned and lew out the lanterns, which the increase of daylight rendered no longer ecessary even in the malthouse, with its one pane of glass.

"I wonder what a farmer-woman can want with a harpsichord, dulmer, pianner, or whatever 'tis they d'call it," said the maltster. "Liddy ith she've a new one."

"Got a pianner?"

"Ay. Seems her old uncle's things were not good enough for her. he've bought all but everything new.

There's heavy chairs for the

out, weak and wiry ones for the slender; great watches getting on to e size of clocks, to stand upon the chimbley-piece."

"Pictures, for the most part wonderful frames.”

"Long horse-hair settles for the drunk, with horse-hair pillows at each

nd."

"Looking-glasses for the pretty."

"Lying books for the wicked."

A firm loud tread was now heard stamping outside; the door was pened about six inches, and somebody on the other side exclaimed

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Neighbours, have ye got room for a few new-born lambs?"

Ay, sure, shepherd," said the conclave.

The door was flung back till it kicked the wall and trembled from op to bottom with the blow. Mr. Oak appeared in the entry with a steaming face, hay-bands wound about his ankles to keep out the snow, leather strap round his waist outside the smock-frock, and looking altogether an epitome of the world's health and vigour. Four lambs hung in various embarrassing attitudes over his shoulders, and the dog George, which Gabriel had contrived to fetch from Norcombe, stalked solemnly behind.

"Well, Shepherd Oak, and how's lambing this year, if I may say it?" enquired Joseph Poorgrass.

"Terrible trying," said Oak. "I've been wet through twice a-day,

either in snow or rain, this last fortnight. Cainy and I haven't tined our eyes to-night.”

"A good few twins, too, I hear, so to speak it ?"

"Too many by half. Yes, 'tis a very queer lambing this year. We shan't have done by Lady Day."

"And last year 'twer all over by Sexagessamine Sunday," Joseph

remarked.

"Bring on the rest, Cain," said Gabriel, "and then run back to the ewes. I'll follow you soon."

Cainy Ball-a cherry-faced young lad, with a small circular orifice by way of mouth, advanced and deposited two others, and retired as he was bidden. Oak lowered the lambs from their unnatural elevation, wrapped them in hay, and placed them round the fire.

"We've no lambing-hut here, as I used to have at Norcombe," sai Gabriel," and 'tis such a plague to bring the weakly ones to a house If 'twasn't for your place here, maltster, I don't know what I should do this keen weather. And how is it with you to-day, maltster?"

"O, neither sick nor sorry, shepherd; but no younger."

"Ay-I understand."

"Sit down, Shepherd Oak," continued the ancient man of malbad "And how was the old place at Norcombe when ye went for your dog I should like to see the old familiar spot; but faith, I shouldn't know soul there now."

"I suppose you wouldn't. 'Tis altered very much."

"Is it true that Dicky Hill's wooden cider-house is pulled down?" "O yes-years ago, and Dicky's cottage just above it."

"Well, to be sure!"

"Yes; and Tompkins's old apple-tree is rooted that used to bear two hogsheads of cider with its own apples, and no help from other

trees."

"Rooted ?—you don't say it! Ah! stirring times we live in-stirring

times."

"And you can mind the old well that used to be in the middle of the place? That's turned into a solid iron pump with a large stone trough, and all complete."

"Dear, dear-how the face of nations alter, and what great revolu tions we live to see now-a-days! Yes-and 'tis the same here. They're been talking but now of the mis'ess's strange doings."

"What have you been saying about her?" inquired Oak, sharply turning to the rest, and getting very warm.

"These middle-aged men have been pulling her over the coals for pride and vanity," said Mark Clark; "but I say, let her have rope enough. Bless her pretty face-shouldn't I like to do socherry lips!" The gallant Mark Clark here made a peculiar and well

known sound with his own.

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upon

her

Mark," said Gabriel, sternly, "now you mind this: none of that

lalliance-talk

that philandering way-that dandle-smack-and-coddle tyle of yours-about Miss Everdene. I don't allow it. Do you hear ?" "With all my heart, as the old woman said," replied Mr. Clark, eartily.

“I suppose you've been speaking against her?" said Oak, turning > Joseph Poorgrass with a very grim look.

"No, no-not a word I-'tis a real joyful thing that she's no worse, hat's what I say," said Joseph, trembling and blushing with terror. Matthew just said

"Matthew Moon, what have you been saying?" asked Oak.

"I? Why ye know I wouldn't harm a worm-no, not one underround worm!" said Matthew Moon, looking very uneasy.

"Well, somebody has—and look here, neighbours." Gabriel, though ne of the quietest and most gentle men on earth, rose to the occasion, ith martial promptness and vigour. "That's my fist." Here he placed is fist, rather smaller in size than a common loaf, in the mathematical entre of the maltster's little table, and with it gave a bump or two thereon, s if to ensure that their eyes all thoroughly took in the idea of fistiness efore he went further. "Now-the first man in the parish that I hear prophesying bad of our mistress, why"-(here the fist was raised and let all, as Thor might have done with his hammer in assaying it)" he'll mell and taste that—or I'm a Dutchman."

All earnestly expressed by their features that their minds did not ander to Holland for a moment on account of this statement, well mowing it was but a powerful form of speech; but were deploring the ifference which gave rise to the figure; and Mark Clark cried "Hear, lear, as the undertaker said." The dog George looked up at the same ime after the shepherd's menace, and though he understood English but mperfectly, began to growl.

"Now, don't ye take on so, shepherd, and sit down!" said Henery, with a deprecating peacefulness equal to anything of the kind in Christianity.

"We hear that ye be a extraordinary good and clever man, shepherd," said Joseph Poorgrass with considerable anxiety from behind the maltster's bedstead, whither he had retired for safety."'Tis a great thing to be clever, I'm sure," he added, making small movements associated with states of mind rather than body; "we wish we were, don't we, neighbours ?"

"Ay, that we do, sure," said Matthew Moon, with a small anxious laugh towards Oak, to show how very friendly disposed he was likewise. "Who's been telling you I'm clever?" said Oak.

"'Tis blowed about from pillar to post quite common," said Matthew. “We hear that ye can tell the time as well by the stars as we can by the sun and moon, shepherd."

"Yes, I can do a little that way," said Gabriel, as a man of medium sentiments on the subject.

"And that ye can make sun-dials, and prent folks' names upon their waggons almost like copper-plate, with beautiful flourishes, and great long tails. A excellent fine thing for ye to be such a clever man, shepherd. Joseph Poorgrass used to prent to Farmer James Everdene's waggons before you came, and 'a could never mind which way to turn the J's and E's-could ye, Joseph ?" Joseph shook his head to express how absolute was the fact that he couldn't. "And so you used to do 'em the wrong way, like this, didn't ye, Joseph ? " Matthew marked on the dusty floor with his whip-handle

LAMES.

"And how Farmer James would cuss, and call thee a fool, wouldn't he, Joseph, when 'a seed his name looking so inside-out-like?" continued Matthew Moon, with feeling.

"Ay-'a would," said Joseph, meekly. "But, you see, I wasn't so much to blame, for them J's and E's are such trying sons of dogs for the memory to mind whether they face backward or forward; and I always had such a forgetful memory, too."

"'Tis a very bad affliction for ye, Joseph Poorgrass-being such a man of calamity in other ways."

"Well, 'tis; but a happy providence ordered that it should be no worse, and I feel my thanks. As to shepherd, there, I'm sure mis'ess ought to have made ye her baily-such a fitting man for't as you be."

"I don't mind owning that I expected it," said Oak, frankly. "Indeed I hoped for the place. At the same time Miss Everdene has a right to be her own baily if she chooses-and to keep me down to be a common shepherd only." Oak drew a slow breath, looked sadly into the bright ashpit, and seemed lost in thoughts not of the most hopeful hue.

The genial warmth of the fire now began to stimulate the nearly lifeless lambs to bleat and move their limbs briskly upon the hay, and to recognise for the first time the fact that they were born. Their noise increased to a chorus of baas, upon which Oak pulled the milk-can from before the fire, and taking a small teapot from the pocket of his smockfrock, filled it with milk, and taught those of the helpless creatures which were not to be restored to their dams how to drink from the spout—a trick they acquired with astonishing aptitude.

"And she don't even let ye have the skins of the dead lambs, I hear?" resumed Joseph Poorgrass, his eyes lingering on the operations of Oak with the necessary melancholy.

"I don't have them," said Gabriel.

"Ye be very badly used, shepherd," hazarded Joseph again, in the hope of getting Oak as an ally in lamentation after all. "I think she's took against ye-that I do."

"O, no-not at all," replied Gabriel, hastily, and a sigh escaped him, which the deprivation of lamb skins could hardly have caused.

Before any further remark had been added a shade darkened the door,

and Boldwood entered the malthouse, bestowing around upon each a nod, of a quality between friendliness and condescension.

"Ah! Oak, I thought you were here," he said. "I met the mailcart ten minutes ago, and a letter was put into my hand, which I opened, without reading the address. I believe it is yours. You must excuse the accident, please."

"O, yes-not a bit of difference, Mr. Boldwood-not a bit," said Gabriel, readily. He had not a correspondent on earth, nor was there a possible letter coming to him, whose contents the whole parish would not have been welcome to peruse.

Oak stepped aside, and read the following in an unknown hand :

"DEAR FRIEND,-I do not know your name, but I think these few lines will reach you, which I write to thank you for your kindness to me the night I left Weatherbury in a reckless way. I also return the money I owe you, which you will excuse my not keeping as a gift. All has ended well, and I am happy to say I am going to be married to the young man who has courted me for some time-Sergeant Troy, of the 11th Dragoon Guards, now quartered in Melchester. He would, I know, object to my having received anything except as a loan, being a man of great respectaAbility and high honour-indeed, a nobleman by blood.

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'I should be much obliged to you if you would keep the contents of this letter a secret for the present, dear friend. We mean to surprise Weatherbury by coming there soon as husband and wife, though I blush to state it to one nearly a stranger. The sergeant grew up in Weatherbury. Thanking you again for your kindness,

"I am, your sincere well-wisher,

"FANNY ROBIN."

"Have you read it, Mr. Boldwood?" said Gabriel; "if not, you had
I know you are interested in Fanny Robin."

better do so.
Boldwood read the letter and looked grieved.

"Fanny-poor Fanny! the end she is so confident of has not yet come, she should remember-and may never come."

"What sort of a man is this Sergeant Troy?" said Gabriel.

"H'm-I am afraid not one to build much hope upon in such a case as this," the farmer murmured, "though he's a clever fellow, and up to everything. A slight romance attaches to him, too. His mother, a French governess, was married to a poor medical man, and while money was forthcoming all went on well. Unfortunately for the boy, his best friends died; and he got then a situation as second clerk at a lawyer's in Casterbridge. He stayed there for some time, and might have worked himself into a dignified position of some sort had he not indulged in the wild freak of enlisting. I have much doubt if ever little Fanny will surprise us in the way she mentions-very much doubt. A silly girlsilly girl!"