muster i should indeed the secretary why then lord love you said the in his chuckle as he pointed with his pipe to there he sets that s the man my stars and he added in a whisper as he drew his stool close to him and him with his elbow what a interesting blade he is he wants as much holding in as a if it hadn t been for me to day he d have had that ere down and made a riot of it in another minute and why not cried in a surly voice as he overheard this last remark where s the good of putting things off strike while the iron s hot that s what i say ah retorted shaking his head with a kind of pity for his mend s youth but suppose the iron an t hot brother you must get people s blood up afore you strike and have em in the humour there wasn t quite enough to provoke em to day i teu you if you d had your way you d have spoilt the to come and ruined us is quite right said smoothly he is perfectly correct has great knowledge of the world i ought to have muster seeing what a many people i ve helped out of it eh grinned the whispering the words behind his hand t the secretary at this just as much as could desire and when he had done said turning to s policy was mine as you may have observed you saw for instance how i fell when i was set upon i made no resistance i did nothing to provoke an outbreak oh dear no no by the lord harry cried with a noisy laugh you went down very quiet muster � and very flat besides i thinks to myself at the time it s all up with muster i never see a man lay flatter nor more still � with the life in him � than you did to day he s a rough un to play with is that ere and that s the fact the secretary s face as roared with laughter and turned his wrinkled eyes on who did the like might have a study for the devil s picture he sat quite silent until they were serious again and then said looking round we are very pleasant here so very pleasant that but for my lord s particular desire that i should sup with him and the time being very near at hand i should be inclined to stay until it would be hardly safe to go homeward i come upon a little business � yes i do � aa you supposed it s very flattering to you being this if we ever should be obliged � and we can t tell you � this is a very uncertain world � i believe you muster interposed the with a grave nod the as i ve seen in reference to this here state of existence the unexpected as have come about � oh my eye feeling the subject much too vast for expression he at his pipe again and looked the rest i say resumed the secretary in a slow impressive way we can t teu what may come to pass and if we should be obliged against our wills to have recourse to violence my lord who has terribly to day as r as words can go to you two � bearing in mind my recommendation of you both as good men beyond all doubt and suspicion � the pleasant task of this you may do as you please with him or his provided that you show no mercy and no quarter and leave no two beams of his house standing where the placed them you may sack it bum it do with it as you like but it must come down it must be to the ground and he and all belonging to him left as as new bom whom their mothers have exposed do you understand me said pausing and pressing his hands together gently understand you master you speak plain now why this is hearty i knew you would like it said shaking him by the hand i thought you would good night don t rise i would rather find my way alone i may have to make other visits here and it s pleasant to come and go without disturbing you i can find my way perfectly well he was gone and had shut the door behind him they looked at each and nodded stirred up the fire this looks a little more like business he said ay indeed cried this suits me i ye it said of muster said the that he d a surprising memory and firmness � that he never forgot and never forgave � let s drink his health readily complied � pouring no liquor on the floor when he drank this toast � and they pledged the secretary as a man after their own hearts in a chapter while the worst passions of the worst men were thus working in the dark and the mantle of religion assumed to cover the threatened to become the of all that was good and peaceful in society a circumstance occurred which once more altered the position of two persons from whom this history has long been separated and to whom it must now return in a small english country town the inhabitants of which supported themselves by the labour of their hands in and pre straw for those who made and other articles of dress and ornament from that material � concealed under an assumed name and living in a quiet poverty which knew no change no pleasures and few cares but that oi struggling on from day to day in the one great toil for bread � dwelt and his mother their poor cottage had known no stranger 