Joshuay he says. There were summat about a horse atwixt 'um; but there's such a many tales allus, one doesna know which to believe. I thought mebbe the councillor had a been up here for to axe ye (he said as how he would) about a' that ballaraggin' and quarrellin' atwixt yer feyther and Joshuay."

46

"I hanna nowt to say," answered the lad, shortly, nor what I telled un all at the 'quest. My feyther sent me home early o' that market-day, and I know nowt o' any quarrel nor ballaragging nor nowt."

Cassandra's tongue and lips seemed too dry to utter a word, but she looked pitifully at Lydia, who asked the question for her.

66 'Ha' ye heerd owt o' Joshua or Roland sin' they went?"

"Not th' littlest bit o' a word," replied Nanny. "And 'tain't nateral we should. Joshuay 'll kip as close as a hunted hare an a' be true, wi' all this hanging over him."

"And what's come o' poor Roland?" said Lydia again.

"They say

he looked a very deal more cut up nor his feyther, hiding o' his face like, and just an he knew more o' th' murder nor were good for's soul, he were so white."

"I dunna believe a word on't," burst out German. "Roland were as good a chap as ever walked i' shoeleather. I were main fond o' him. I'd lay my life he know'd no more o' wrong nor I did,—and I'd gi'e a great deal for to see he again—that's what it is," said the lad, pushing away his chair and getting up with an angry glow in his face, which made poor Cassie's heart swell with gratitude to her brother.

""Tis just the way o' the world," she murmured to herself.

"Well, I'm not a sayin' nowt agin the poor fellow," said Mrs. Elmes, rising also and shaking the buttery crumbs from her lap. "He's a goodlivin' chap, I believe. I'm on'y a tellin' of ye what folk says, and as yerselves has the best right to know. And now, Cassie, I want ye for to help me wash my two or three clo'es. To-morrow's Sabbath-day and I'm to sleep at Farmer Clay's, and I wants to be tidy like. 'Tis very viewly for to be clean, for all that one's things mid be mended and coarse. And it's my 'pinion," she added, significantly, "that if I was Roland, his frens 'ud do well to advise un to kip hissen out o' the way an he dunna want for to be brought in axnaparte' witness agin his feyther. Joshuay's one as 'll fin' a many for to swear his life

against him. There ain't ne'er a dirty puddle o' bad things as he ha'n't a put his foot into this score o' years and more, and a broken pitcher may go onest too often to th' well, we all know that."

CHAPTER XXIII.

VERY LONELY.

For I go, dull from suffering, here,
Naked I go, and void of cheer,

What is it that I may not fear?
TENNYSON.

JOSHUA and his son had continued their slow way unmolested to Liverpool. As they came in sight of the town and drove through street after street of frowsy, squalid, grimy houses, Roland's heart sank within him. There are few things more depressing than the suburbs of a great city, where all the beauty of nature has been destroyed, and man's handiwork is only shown in ugliness and wretchedness.

"And they have a dirtied the very air as it ain't clean to swalla," said Roland, with inexpressible disgust as they passed into the lurid, foggy, dull smoky atmosphere.

"Yes," answered his father; "but it mun be a fine place, and safe, an a body didn't want for to be looked arter."-The views to be taken of

the same place vary curiously according to the wants of the seer.

The next day Roland went in search of the old Quaker's warehouse with Nathan's letter in his hand. "What a sight o' folk!" said he to himself. "And how they runs to and fro, nobody a speaking to nobody, nor simmingly caring whether we all be alive or dead." In Youlcliffe every one knew every one else, and the intense solitude of the crowd of a great town made his loneliness sometimes almost unbearable.

Mr. Rendall received him coldly and suspiciously: he seemed nearly to have forgotten Nathan's existence, and questioned the young man closely and very unpleasantly. Just, however, as Roland was turning on his heel, half in anger and half in dismay, the old Quaker said placidly,

"Well, young man, I'll give thee a chance and try thee in the outer warehouse for a while-lest, as Nathan Broom observes, perchance thy falling into evil ways might reproach us for our neglect. Thou seem'st a bit hasty, friend. Dost thee think the father can eat sour grapes and the son's teeth not be set on edge? 'twould be against Scripture. Thou mayst come to-morrow and we'll see what thee'st good for."