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dissent); but he never yet heard of the Sylvesterā€”though he shouldnā€™t say itā€”~-who was a bad landlord (loud applause).

This was a free country, and any tenant of his who was not content (a voice, ā€œā€˜Oo says we bainā€™t? ā€œ)ā€”ā€ thank you, thank you! ā€œā€”well, there was room for him outside. (Cheers.)

He thanked God from the bottom of his heart

that, during the forty years he had been responsible for the March Mere Estate, there had never been any friction between him and his people (cheers), and he didnā€™t think there ever would be. (Loud cheers.)

ā€œThank you, thank you!ā€ And his motto was, ā€œShun a Radical as you do the devil!ā€ā€” and he was very glad to see them all thereā€” very glad; and he wished to give them a toast, ā€œThe Queen! God bless her!ā€ andā€”wait a minute!ā€”with her Majestyā€™s name to couple ā€”he was sure that gracious lady would wish itā€”that of ā€œOwd Bob oā€™ Kenmuir!ā€ Then he sat down abruptly amid thundering applause.

The toasts duly honoured, James Moore, by prescriptive right as Master of Kenmuir, rose to answer.

He began by saying that he spoke ā€œas representing all the tenants, ā€œā€”but he was interrupted.

ā€œNa,ā€ came a shrill voice from half-way down the table. ā€œYell except me, James Moore. Iā€™d as lief be represented by Judas!ā€

There were cries of ā€œHold ye gab, little mon!ā€ and the squireā€™s voice, ā€œThatā€™ll do, Mr. Mā€™Adam!ā€

The little man restrained his tongue, but his eyes gleamed like a ferretā€™s; and the Master continued his speech.

He spoke briefly and to the point, in short phrases. And all the while Mā€™Adam kept up a low-voiced, running commentary. At length he could control himself no longer. Half rising from his chair, he leant forward with hot face and burning eyes, and cried: ā€œSit doon, James Moore! Hoo daur ye stanā€™ there like an honest man, ye whitewashed sepulchre? Sit doon, I say, orā€™ ā€˜ā€”threateninglyā€”ā€ wad ye hae me come to ye?ā€

At that the Dalesmen laughed uproariously, and even the Masterā€™s grim face relaxed. But the squireā€™s voice rang out sharp and stern.

ā€œKeep silence and sit down, Mr. Mā€™Adam! Dā€™you hear me, sir? If I have to speak to you again it will be to order you to leave the room.ā€

The little man obeyed, sullen and vengeful, like a beaten cat.

The Master concluded his speech by calling on all present to give three cheers for the squire, her ladyship, and the young ladies.

The call was responded to enthusiastically, every man standing. Just as the noise was at its zenith, Lady Eleanour herself, with her two fair daughters, glided into the gallery at the end of the hall; whereat the cheering became deafening.

Slowly the clamor subsided. One by one the tenants sat down. At length there was left standing only one solitary figureā€” M ā€˜Adam.

His face was set, and he gripped the chair in front of him with thin, nervous hands.

ā€œMr. Sylvester,ā€ he began in low yet clear voice, ā€œye said this is a free country and weā€™re aā€™ free men. And that hemā€™ so, Iā€™ll takā€™ the liberty, wiā€™ yer permission, to say a word. Itā€™s maybe the last time Iā€™ll be wiā€™ ye, so I hope yeā€™ll listen to me.ā€

The Dalesmen looked surprised, and the squire uneasy. Nevertheless he nodded assent.

The little man straightened himself. His face was tense as though strung up to a high resolve. All the passion had fled from it, all the bitterness was gone; and left behind was a strange, enobling earnestness. Standing there in the silence of that great hail, with every eye upon him, he looked like some prisoner at the bar about to plead for his life.

ā€œGentlemen,ā€ he began, ā€œIā€™ve bin amang ye noo a score years, and I can truly say thereā€™s not a man in this room I can caā€™ ā€˜Friend.ā€™ ā€ He looked along the ranks of upturned faces. ā€œAy, David, I see ye, and you, Mr. Hornbut, and you, Mr. Sylvesterā€”ilka one oā€™ you, and not one asā€™d back me like a comrade gin a trouble came upon me.ā€ There was no rebuke in the grave little voiceā€”it merely stated a hard fact.

ā€œThereā€™s I doot no one amang ye but has some oneā€”friend or bloodā€”wham he can turn to when things are sair wiā€™ him. Iā€™ve no one.

ā€˜I bear alane my lade oā€™ careā€™ā€”

alane wiā€™ Wullie, who stands to me, blaw or snaw, rain or shine. And whiles Iā€™m feared heā€™ll be took from me.ā€ He spoke this last half to himself, a grieved, puzzled expression on his face, as though lately he had dreamed some ill dream.

ā€œForbye Wuilie, Iā€™ve no friend on Godā€™s earth. And, mind ye, a bad man aften makā€™s a good friendā€”but yeā€™ve never given me the chance. Itā€™s a sair thing that, gentlemen, to haā€™ to fight the battle oā€™ life alane: no one to pat ye on thā€™ back, no one to say ā€˜Weel done.ā€™ It hardly gies a man a chance. For gin he does try and yet fails, men never mind the tryinā€™, they only mark the failinā€™.

ā€œI dinna blame ye. Thereā€™., somethinā€™ bred in me, it se ms, as sets ivery one agin me. Itā€™s the same wiā€™ Wullie and the tykesā€”theyā€™re doon on him same as men are on me. I suppose we was made so. Sinā€™ I was a lad itā€™s aye bin the same. From school days Iā€™ve had ivery one agin me.

ā€œIn ma life Iā€™ve had three fiends. Ma mitherā€”and she went; then ma wife ā€œā€”he gave a great swallowā€”ā€ and sheā€™s awaā€™; and I may say theyā€™re the only two human hemā€™s as haā€™ lived on Godā€™s earth in ma time that iver tried to bear wiā€™ me; ā€” and Wullie. A manā€™s mitherā€”a manā€™s wife-a manā€™s dog! itā€™s aften aā€™ he has in this wand; and the more he prizes them the more like they are to be took from him.ā€ The little earnest voice shook, and the dim eyes puckered and filled.

ā€œSinā€™ Iā€™ve bin amang ye-twenty-odd years ā€”can any man here mind speakinā€™ any word that wasna ill to me?ā€ He paused; there was no reply.

ā€œIā€™ll tell ye. All the time Iā€™ve lived here Iā€™ve had one kindly word spoke to me, and that a fortnight gone, and not by a man thenā€”by her ladyship, God bless her!ā€ He glanced up into the gallery. There was no one visible there; but a curtain at one end shook as though it were sobbing.

ā€œWeel, Iā€™m thinkinā€™ weā€™ll be gaeinā€™ in a wee while noo, Wullie and me, alane and thegither, as weā€™ve aye done. And itā€™s time we went. Yeā€™ve had enough oā€™ us, and itā€™s no for me to blame ye. And when Iā€™m gone whatā€™ll ye say oā€™ me? ā€˜He was a drunkard.ā€™ I am. ā€˜He was a sinner.ā€™ I am. ā€˜He was ilka thing he shouldna be.ā€™ I am. ā€˜Weā€™re glad heā€™s gone.ā€™ Thatā€™s what yeā€™il say oā€™ me. And itā€™s but ma deserts.ā€

The gentle, condemning voice ceased, and began again.

ā€œThatā€™s what I am. Gin things had been differā€™, aiblins Iā€™d haā€™ bin differā€™. Dā€™ye ken Robbie Burns? Thatā€™s a man Iā€™ve read, and ead, and read. Dā€™ye ken why I love him as some oā€™ you do yen Bibles? Because thereā€™s a humanity about him. A weak man hisselā€™, aye slippinā€™, slippinā€™, slippinā€™, and tryinā€™ to haud up; sorrowinā€™ ae minute, sinninā€™ the next; doinā€™ ill deeds and wishinā€™ ā€˜em undoneā€”just a plain human man, a sinner. And thatā€™s why Iā€™m thinkin heā€™s tender for us as is like him. He understood. Itā€™s what he wroteā€”after am oā€™ his tumbles, Iā€™m thinkinā€™ā€”that I was goinā€™ to tell ye:

ā€˜Then gently scan yer brother man, Still gentler sister woman, Though they may gang a kenninā€™ wrang, To step aside is humanā€™ā€”

the doctrine oā€™ Charity. Gie him his chance, says Robbie, though he be a sinner. Mony a monā€™d be differā€™, mony badā€™d be gude, gin they had but their chance. Gie ā€˜em their chance, says he; and Iā€™m wiā€™ him. As ā€˜tis, ye see me hereā€”a bad man wiā€™ still a streak oā€™ good in him. Gin Iā€™d had ma chance, aiblins ā€˜twad beā€”a good man wiā€™ just a spice oā€™ the devil in him. Aā€™ the differā€™ betune what is and what might haā€™ bin.ā€

Chapter XXVIII THE DEVILā€™S BOWL

HE sat down. In the great hail there was silence, save for a tiny sound from the gallery like a sob suppressed.

The squire rose hurriedly and left the room. After him, one by one, trailed the tenants. At length, two only remainedā€”Mā€™Adam, sitting solitary with a long array of empty chairs on either hand; and, at the far end of the table, Parson Leggy, stern, upright, motionless.

When the last man had left the room the parson rose, and with lips tight-set strode across the silent hail.

ā€œMā€™Adam,ā€ he said rapidly and almost roughly, ā€œIā€™ve listened to what youā€™ve said, as I think we all have, with a sore heart. You hit hardā€”but I think you were right. And if Iā€™ve not done my duty by you as I oughtā€”and I fear Iā€™ve notā€”itā€™s now my duty as Godā€™s minister to be the first to say Iā€™m sorry.ā€ And it was evident from his face what an effort the words cost him.

The little man tilted back his chair, and raised his head.

It was the old Mā€™Adam who looked up. The thin lips were curled; a grin was crawling across the mocking face; and he wagged his head gently, as he looked at the speaker through the slits of his half-closed eyes.

ā€œMr. Hurnbert, I believe ye thocht me in earnest, ā€˜deed and I do!ā€ He leaned back in his chair and laughed softly. ā€œYe swallered it all down like best butter. Dear, dear! to think oā€™ that!ā€ Then, stretching forward:

ā€œMr. Hornbut, I was playinā€™ wiā€™ ye.ā€

The parsonā€™s face, as he listened, was ugly to watch. He shot out a hand and grabbed the scoffer by his coat; then dropped it again and turned abruptly away.

As he passed through the door a little sneering voice called after him:

ā€œMr. Hornbut, I ask ye hoo you, a minister oā€™ the Church of England, can reconcile it to yer conscience to thinkā€”though it be but for a minuteā€”that there can be ony good in a man and him no churchgoer? Sir, yeā€™re a hereticā€”not to say a heathen!ā€ He sniggered to himself, and his hand crept to a half-emptied wine decanter.

An hour later, James Moore, his business with the squire completed, passed through the hail on his way out. Its only occupant was now Mā€™Adam, and the Master walked straight up to his enemy.

ā€œMā€™Adam,ā€ he said gruffly, holding out a sinewy hand, ā€œIā€™d like to sayā€”ā€

The little man knocked aside the token of friendship.

ā€œNa, na. No cant, if ye please, James Moore. Thatā€™ll aiblins go doon wiā€™ the parsons, but not wiā€™ me. I ken you and you ken me, and all the whitewash iā€™ thā€™ wand ā€˜11 no deceive us.ā€

The Master turned away, and his face was hard as the nether millstone. But the little man pursued him.

I was nigh forgettinā€™,ā€ he said. ā€œIā€™ve a surprise for ye, James Moore. But I hear itā€™s yer birthday on Sunday, and Iā€™ll keep it till thenā€”he! he!ā€

ā€œYeā€™il see me before Sunday, Mā€™Adam,ā€ the other answered. ā€œOn Saturday, as I told yoā€™, Iā€™m cominā€™ to see if yoā€™ve done yer duty.ā€

ā€œWhether ye come, James Moore, is your business. Whether yeā€™ll iver go, once there, Iā€™ll makā€™ mine. Iā€™ve warned ye twice noo and the little man laughed that harsh, cackling laugh of his.

At the door of the hall the Master met David. ā€œNoo, lad, yoā€™re cominā€™ along wiā€™ Andrew and me,ā€ he said;

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