father paid the money and nobody had tampered with his witnesses he would not mind if Tom did get off and he had his chief witness in called the Bantam very like his master I think and the Bantam began winking at me tremendously as you say, and said he had sworn he saw Tom Bakewell but not upon oath.  He meant not on the Bible.  He could swear to it but not on the Bible.  I burst out laughing and you should have seen the rage old Blaize was in.  It was splendid fun.  Then we had a consultation at home Austin Rady my father Uncle Algernon who has come down to us again and your friend in prosperity and adversity R.D.F.  My father said he would go down to old Blaize and give him the word of a gentleman we had not tampered with his witnesses and when he was gone we were all talking and Rady says he must not see the farmer.  I am as certain as I live that it was Rady bribed the Bantam.  Well I ran and caught up my father and told him not to go in to old Blaize but I would and eat my words and tell him the truth.  He waited for me in the lane.  Never mind what passed between me and old Blaize.  He made me beg and pray of him not to press it against Tom and then to complete it he brought in a little girl a niece of his and says to me, she’s your best friend after all and told me to thank her.  A little girl twelve years of age.  What business had she to mix herself up in my matters.  Depend upon it Ripton, wherever there is mischief there are girls I think.  She had the insolence to notice my face, and ask me not to be unhappy.  I was polite of course but I would not look at her.  Well the morning came and Tom was had up before Sir Miles Papworth.  It was Sir Miles gout gave us the time or Tom would have been had up before we could do anything.  Adrian did not want me to go but my father said I should accompany him and held my hand all the time.  I shall be careful about getting into these scrapes again.  When you have done anything honourable you do not mind but getting among policemen and magistrates makes you ashamed of yourself.  Sir Miles was very attentive to my father and me and dead against Tom.  We sat beside him and Tom was brought in, Sir Miles told my father that if there was one thing that showed a low villain it was rick-burning.  What do you think of that.  I looked him straight in the face and he said to me he was doing me a service in getting Tom committed and clearing the country of such fellows and Rady began laughing.  I hate Rady.  My father said his son was not in haste to inherit and have estates of his own to watch and Sir Miles laughed too.  I thought we were discovered at first.  Then they began the examination of Tom.  The Tinker was the first witness and he proved that Tom had spoken against old Blaize and said something about burning his rick.  I wished I had stood in the lane to Bursley with him alone.  Our country lawyer we engaged for Tom cross-questioned him and then he said he was not ready to swear to