Vixen returned to her hamper again in humiliation, and her master continued his supper in a silence which Adam did not choose to interrupt; he knew the old man would be in a better humour when he had had his supper and lighted his pipe.  Adam was used to hear him talk in this way, but had never learned so much of Bartle’s past life as to know whether his view of married comfort was founded on experience.  On that point Bartle was mute, and it was even a secret where he had lived previous to the twenty years in which happily for the peasants and artisans of this neighbourhood he had been settled among them as their only schoolmaster.  If anything like a question was ventured on this subject, Bartle always replied, “Oh, I’ve seen many places—­I’ve been a deal in the south,” and the Loamshire men would as soon have thought of asking for a particular town or village in Africa as in “the south.”

“Now then, my boy,” said Bartle, at last, when he had poured out his second mug of ale and lighted his pipe, “now then, we’ll have a little talk.  But tell me first, have you heard any particular news to-day?”

“No,” said Adam, “not as I remember.”

“Ah, they’ll keep it close, they’ll keep it close, I daresay.  But I found it out by chance; and it’s news that may concern you, Adam, else I’m a man that don’t know a superficial square foot from a solid.”

Here Bartle gave a series of fierce and rapid puffs, looking earnestly the while at Adam.  Your impatient loquacious man has never any notion of keeping his pipe alight by gentle measured puffs; he is always letting it go nearly out, and then punishing it for that negligence.  At last he said, “Satchell’s got a paralytic stroke.  I found it out from the lad they sent to Treddleston for the doctor, before seven o’clock this morning.  He’s a good way beyond sixty, you know; it’s much if he gets over it.”

“Well,” said Adam, “I daresay there’d be more rejoicing than sorrow in the parish at his being laid up.  He’s been a selfish, tale-bearing, mischievous fellow; but, after all, there’s nobody he’s done so much harm to as to th’ old squire.  Though it’s the squire himself as is to blame—­making a stupid fellow like that a sort o’ man-of-all-work, just to save th’ expense of having a proper steward to look after th’ estate.  And he’s lost more by ill management o’ the woods, I’ll be bound, than ’ud pay for two stewards.  If he’s laid on the shelf, it’s to be hoped he’ll make way for a better man, but I don’t see how it’s like to make any difference to me.”

“But I see it, but I see it,” said Bartle, “and others besides me.  The captain’s coming of age now—­you know that as well as I do—­and it’s to be expected he’ll have a little more voice in things.  And I know, and you know too, what ’ud be the captain’s wish about the woods, if there was a fair opportunity for making a change.  He’s said in plenty of people’s hearing that he’d make you manager of the woods to-morrow, if he’d the