“If you don’t think well of me, Tim, never mind; that’s neither here nor there now.  Things may be bad for the poor man—­bad they are; but I want the lads here not to do what will make things worse for themselves.  The cattle may have a heavy load, but it won’t help ’em to throw it over into the roadside pit, when it’s partly their own fodder.”

“We war on’y for a bit o’ foon,” said Hiram, who was beginning to see consequences.  “That war all we war arter.”

“Well, promise me not to meddle again, and I’ll see that nobody informs against you.”

“I’n ne’er meddled, an’ I’n no call to promise,” said Timothy.

“No, but the rest.  Come, I’m as hard at work as any of you to-day, and I can’t spare much time.  Say you’ll be quiet without the constable.”

“Aw, we wooant meddle—­they may do as they loike for oos”—­ were the forms in which Caleb got his pledges; and then he hastened back to Fred, who had followed him, and watched him in the gateway.

They went to work, and Fred helped vigorously.  His spirits had risen, and he heartily enjoyed a good slip in the moist earth under the hedgerow, which soiled his perfect summer trousers.  Was it his successful onset which had elated him, or the satisfaction of helping Mary’s father?  Something more.  The accidents of the morning had helped his frustrated imagination to shape an employment for himself which had several attractions.  I am not sure that certain fibres in Mr. Garth’s mind had not resumed their old vibration towards the very end which now revealed itself to Fred. For the effective accident is but the touch of fire where there is oil and tow; and it al ways appeared to Fred that the railway brought the needed touch.  But they went on in silence except when their business demanded speech.  At last, when they had finished and were walking away, Mr. Garth said—­

“A young fellow needn’t be a B. A. to do this sort of work, eh, Fred?”

“I wish I had taken to it before I had thought of being a B. A.,” said Fred. He paused a moment, and then added, more hesitatingly, “Do you think I am too old to learn your business, Mr. Garth?”

“My business is of many sorts, my boy,” said Mr. Garth, smiling.  “A good deal of what I know can only come from experience:  you can’t learn it off as you learn things out of a book.  But you are young enough to lay a foundation yet.”  Caleb pronounced the last sentence emphatically, but paused in some uncertainty.  He had been under the impression lately that Fred had made up his mind to enter the Church.

“You do think I could do some good at it, if I were to try?” said Fred, more eagerly.