"Little on, mum," said the foreman, with a wise nod in Jacky's direction. "Wants a month's illness to be a

warnin'."

"It's a pity, Banks, but he will drink.”

"Like lots more on 'em, ma'am. Why if I was to get shut of all the lads in the works there who like their drop of drink, I shouldn't have half enew."

“How are things going on, Banks?" said Mrs. Glaire. The foreman looked at her curiously, for it was a new thing for his mistress to make any inquiry about the foundry. A few months back and he had to make his daily reports, but since Richard Glaire had come of age, Mrs. Glaire had scrupulously avoided interfering in any way, handing over the business management to my

son.

66

"I said how are things going on in the foundry, Banks," aid the lady again, for the foreman had coughed, and shuffled from one foot on to the other.

"Do you wish me to tell you, ma'am?" he said at last.

"Tell me? of course," said Mrs. Glaire, impatiently. "How are matters ?"

"Bad."

"Bad? What do you mean?”

66

Well, mum, not bad as to work; 'cause there's plenty of that, and nothing in the way of contracts as is like to suffer by waiting."

66 Then, what do you mean?"

"Well, you see, ma'am, Mr. Richard don't get on wi' the men. He wants to have it all his own way, and they want to have it all theirn. Well, of course that wean't work; so what's wanted is for the governor to give way just a little, and then they'd give way altogether.'

"But I'm sure my son Richard's management is excellent," said Mrs. Glaire, whose lip quivered a little as she drew herself up with dignity, and began a fresh row of her knitting.

Banks coughed slightly, and remained silent.
"Don't you think So, Banks?"

"Well, you see, ma'am, he's a bit arbitrary."

66 Arbitrary? What do you mean, Banks?"

"Well, you see, ma'am, he turned Sim Slee off at a moment's notice."

"And quite right, too," said Mrs. Glaire, hotly. "My son told me. The fellow is a spouting, mouthing

creature."

“He is that, ma'am, and as lazy as a slug, but it made matters worse, and just now there's a deal of strikes about, and the men at other places listening to delegates from societies, and joining unions, and all that sort of stuff."

"And have you joined one of those clubs, Joe Banks?” said Mrs. Glaire, sharply.

"Me join 'em, ma'am? Not I," said Banks, who seemed immensely tickled at the idea. "Not I. I'm foreman, and get my wage reg'lar, and I don't want none of their flummery. You should hear Ann go on about 'em."

"I beg your pardon, Banks," said Mrs. Glaire. "I might have known that you were too sensible a man to go to these meetings."

"Well, as to being sensible, I don't know about that, Missus Glaire. Them two women folk at home do about what they like wi' me.”

"I don't believe it, Joe," said Mrs. Glaire. "Daisy would not have grown up such a good, sensible girl if she had not had a firm, kind, sensible father."

"God bless her!" said Joe, and a little moisture appcared in one eye. Then speaking rather huskily— "Thank you, ma'am-thank you, Missus Glaire. I try to do my duty by her, and so does Ann."

"Is Ann quite well?"

"Quite well, thank you kindly, ma'am," said the foreman." "Don't you be afeared for me, Missus Glaire. I worked with Richard Glaire, senior, thirty years ago, two working lads, and we was always best of friends both when we was poor, and when I saw him gradually grow rich, for he had a long head, had your husband, while I'd only got a square one. But I stuck to him, and he stuck to me, and when he died, leaving me his foreman, you know, Mrs. Glaire, how he sent for me, and 'Joe,' he says, 'good-bye, God bless you! You've always been my right hand man. Stick to my son.'

"He did, Joe, he did," said Mrs. Glaire, with a deep sigh, and a couple of tears fell on her knitting.

"And I'll stick to him through thick and thin," said the foreman, stoutly. "For I never envied Dick, his father-there, 'tain't 'spectful to you, ma'am, to say Dick, though it comes natural-I never envied Master Glaire his success with his contracts, and getting on to be a big man. I was happy enough; but you know, ma'am, young Master Dick is arbitrary; he is indeed, and he can't feel for a working man like his father did."

"He is more strict, you see, Banks, that is all," said Mrs. Glaire, stiffly; and the foreman screwed up his face a little.

"You advise him not to be quite so strict, ma'am. I wouldn't advise you wrong, as you know."

"I know that, Joe Banks," said Mrs. Glaire, smiling pleasantly; "and I'll say a word to him. But I wanted to say something to you."

Well, I've been a wondering why you sent for me, ma'am," said the foreman, bluntly.

"You see," said Mrs. Glaire, hesitating, "there are little bits of petty tattle about."

"What, here, ma'am," said the foreman, with a hearty laugh. "Of course there is, and always was, and will

be.

"But they are about Daisy," said Mrs. Glaire, dashing at last into the matter.

"I should just like to get hold of the man as said a word against my lass," said Banks, stretching out a tremendous fist. "I'd crack him, I would, like a nut. But what have they been saying?"

CHAPTER IV.

DAISY'S FATHER.

"WELL," said Mrs. Glaire, who found her task more difficult than she had apprehended, "the fact is, they say she has been seen talking to my son.

دو

“Is that all?” said the foreman, laughing in a quiet, hearty way.

"Yes, that is all, and for Daisy's sake I want it stopped. Have you heard or known anything?"

"Well, to put it quite plain, the missus wants her to have Tom Podmore down at the works there, but the girl hangs back, and I found out the reason. I did see Master Dick talking to her one night, and it set me a thinking."

"And you didn't stop it?" exclaimed Mrs. Glaire, sharply.

"Stop it? Why should I stop it?" said the foreman. "She's getting on for twenty, and is sure to begin thinking about sweethearts. Ann did when she was nineteen, and if I recollect right, little fair-haired Lisbeth Ward was only eighteen when she used to blush on meeting Dick Glaire. I see her do it," said the bluff fellow, chuckling.

"But that was long ago," exclaimed Mrs. Glaire, excitedly. "Positions are changed since then.

My

"Well, ma'am, he's a workman's son, and my bairn's a workman's daughter. I've give her a good schooling, and she's as pretty a lass as there is in these parts, and if your son Richard's took a fancy to her, and asks me to let him marry her, and the lass likes him, why I shall say yes, like a man.

Mrs. Glaire looked at him aghast. This was a turn in affairs she had never anticipated, and one which called forth all her knowledge of human nature to combat.

"But," she exclaimed, "he is engaged to his cousin here, Miss Pelly."

"Don't seem like it," chuckled the foreman.

he's always after Daisy now."

"Why,

Oh, this is dreadful!" gasped Mrs. Glaire, dropping her knitting. "I tell you he is engaged-promised to be married to his second cousin, Miss Pelly."

"Stuff!" said Banks, laughing.

she, though she's a good, sweet girl."

"He'll never marry

"Don't I tell you he will?" gasped Mrs. Glaire. "Man, man, are you blind? This is dreadful to me, but I must speak. Has it never struck you that my son may have wrong motives with respect to your child?”

C

"What?" roared the foreman; and the veins in his forehead swelled out, as his fist clenched. "Bah!" he exclaimed, resuming his calmness. "Nonsense, ma'am, nonsense. What! Master Dicky Glaire, my true old friend's son, mean wrong by my lass, Daisy? Mrs. Glaire, ma'am, Mrs. Glaire, for shame, for shame!”

"The man's infatuated!" exclaimed Mrs. Glaire; and she stared wonderingly at the bluff, honest fellow before her.

"Why, ma'am," said the foreman, smiling, "I wouldn't believe it of him if you swore it. He's arbitrary, and he's too fond of his horses, and dogs, and sporting; but my Daisy! Oh, for shame, ma'am, for shame! He loves the very ground on which she walks."

"And-and-" stammered Mrs. Glaire, "does-does Daisy care for him? Fool that I was to let her come here and be so intimate with Eve," she muttered.

"Well, ma'am," said the foreman, thoughtfully, "I'm not so sure about that."

He was about to say more when Mrs. Glaire stopped him.

"Another time, Banks, another time," she said, hastily. "Here is my son.'

As she spoke Richard Glaire came into the garden, with his hands in his pockets, and Eve Pelly clinging to one arm, looking bright and happy.

The foreman started slightly, but gave himself a jerk and smiled, and then, in obedience to a gesture from his mistress, he left the garden and returned to the foundry.

CHAPTER V.

THE VICAR'S STROLL.

THE brick, as the vicar called it, was only another piece of slag; but he did not turn his head, only smiled, and began thinking that Dumford quite equalled the report he had heard of it. Then looking round the plain old church, peering inside through the windows, and satisfying himself that its architectural beauties were not of a very striking nature, he turned aside and entered the vicarage garden, giving a sigh of satisfaction on finding