\"would it not be worth while,\" said mr. hale, \"to ask your old master ifhe would take you back again? it might be a poor chance, but it wouldbe a chance.\"

he looked up again, with a sharp glance at the questioner; and thentittered a low and bitter laugh.

\"measter! if it\"s no offence, i\"ll ask yo\" a question or two in my turn.\"

\"you\"re quite wele,\" said mr. hale.

\"i reckon yo\"n some way of earning your bread. folk seldom lives i\"

milton lust for pleasure, if they can live anywhere else.\"

\"you are quite right. i hāve some independent property, but myintention in settling in milton was to bee a private tutor.\"

\"to teach folk. well! i reckon they pay yo\" for teaching them, dunnotthey?\"

\"yes,\" replied mr. hale, smiling. \"i teach in order to get paid.\"

\"and them that pays yo\", dun they tell yo\" whatten to do, or whatten notto do wi\" the money they gives you in just payment for your pains--infair exchange like?\"

\"no; to be sure not!\"

\"they dunnot say, \"yo\" may hāve a brother, or a friend as dear as abrother, who wants this here brass for a purpose both yo\" and he thinkright; but yo\" mun promise not give it to him. yo\" may see a good use,as yo\" think, to put yo\"r money to; but we don\"t think it good, and so ifyo\" spend it a-thatens we\"ll just leāve off dealing with yo\".\" they dunnotsay that, dun they?\"

\"no: to be sure not!\"

\"would yo\" stand it if they did?\"

\"it would be some very hard pressure that would make me even think ofsubmitting to such dictation.\"

\"there\"s not the pressure on all the broad earth that would make me, saidnicholas higgins. \"now yo\"ve got it. yo\"ve hit the bull\"s eye. hamper\"s-that\"swhere i worked--makes their men pledge \"emselves they\"ll notgive a penny to help th\" union or keep turnouts fro\" clemming. theymay pledge and make pledge,\" continued he, scornfully; \"they nobbutmake liars and hypocrites. and that\"s a less sin, to my mind, to makingmen\"s hearts so hard that they\"ll not do a kindness to them as needs it, orhelp on the right and just cause, though it goes again the strong hand.

but i\"ll ne\"er forswear mysel\" for a\" the work the king could gi\"e me. i\"ma member o\" the union; and i think it\"s the only thing to do the workmanany good. and i\"ve been a turn-out, and known what it were to clem; soif i get a shilling, sixpence shall go to them if they axe it from me.

consequence is, i dunnot see where i\"m to get a shilling.\"

\"is that rule about not contributing to the union in force at all the mills?\"

asked margaret.

\"i cannot say. it\"s a new regulation at ourn; and i reckon they\"ll find thatthey cannot stick to it. but it\"s in force now. by-and-by they\"ll find out,tyrants makes liars.\"

there was a little pause. margaret was hesitating whether she shouldsay what was in her mind; she was unwilling to irritate one who wasalready gloomy and despondent enough. at last out it came. but in hersoft tones, and with her reluctant manner, showing that she was

unwilling to say anything unpleasant, it did not seem to annoy higgins,only to perplex him.

\"do you remember poor boucher saying that the union was a tyrant? ithink he said it was the worst tyrant of all. and i remember at the time iagreed with him.\"

。=（／t｜）

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