Harry nodded rather shamefacedly.

‘Yes, mother,’ he said, ‘I went to chapel, an’ took my whip with me.  I meant to scruff Shine before the lot o’ them, an’ lash him black an’ blue.’

’That was shameful—­shameful!

‘Anyhow, I didn’t do it.  She came an’ put me off, an’ I sneaked out as if I’d been licked myself.  I couldn’t have hammered the brute before her eyes, but—­but—­’

’But you meant to; is that it?  Henry, you almost make me despair.  Have you no more respect for yourself?  Have you none for me?’

‘I couldn’t stand it.  You’ve heard.  It made me mad!’

’I have heard all, and I think Mr. Shine is a well intentioned man whose faith, such as it is, is honest; but he is ignorant, coarse-fibred, and narrow-minded.  He is doing right according to his own poor, dim light, and could not be convinced otherwise by any word or act of ours; but his preachings can do me no injury.  They do not irritate me in the least—­indeed, I am not sure that they do not amuse me.’

’Ah, mother, that’s like you; you philosophise your way through a difficulty, and I always want to fight my way out.  It’s so much easier.’

’Yes, dear; but do you get out?  Do you know that Ephraim Shine is the most litigious man in the township?  He runs to the law with every little trouble, whilst inviting his neighbours to carry all theirs to the Lord.  Had you beaten him he would have proceeded against you, and—­Oh! my boy, my boy! are you going to make my troubles greater?  And I had such hopes.’

’Hush, mother.  ’Pon my soul, I won’t!  I’m going to hold myself down tight after this.  An’, look here, I’ve got an idea.  I’m going to Pete Holden to-morrow to ask him to put me on at the Stream, same shift as poor Frank was on, if possible.’

‘Put on the brother of the man who—­’

’Yes, mother, the brother of the thief.  But Holden is a good fellow; he spoke up for Frank like a brick.  Besides, d’you know what the men are saying?  That the gold-stealing is still going on.  I’ll tell Holden as much, an’ promise to watch, an’ watch, like a cat, if he’ll only send me below.’

’Yes, yes; we can persuade him.  I wonder we did not think of this before.’

’’Twas young Dick Haddon put me up to it, with some yarn of his about a detective.’

’Bless the boy! he is unique—­the worst and the best I have ever known.  Johnnie, how dare you?’

The last remark was addressed to Gable, who had been eating industriously for the last quarter of an hour.  The old man, finding himself ignored, had smartly conveyed a large spoonful of jam from the pot to his mouth.  He choked over it now, and wriggled and blushed like a child taken red-handed.

‘’Twas only a nut,’ he said sulkily.

’You naughty boy!  Will you never learn how to behave at table?  Come here, sir.  Ah, I see; as I suspected.  You did not shave this morning.  Go straight to bed after you have finished your tea.  How dare you disobey me, you wicked boy!’