The Coachmaster 



breathed — and him when he was a Httle 

 chap no higher than that ! " 



That was an arofument not to be 

 answered, according to his w^ay of think- 

 ing. 



As my Father advanced in years, trouble 

 came thick and thicker about him. My 

 sister Esther died and my brother Edward, 

 and then my cousin Ridley began his un- 

 worthy behaviour. He was the handsomest 

 man I have ever seen, and the hero and 

 pattern of my boyhood. For years he 

 served my Father w^ell and honestly, but 

 when I was growing into a big lad, I 

 noticed that people pulled long faces when 

 they spoke of him ; and one day my Mother 

 said before me, ''If folks live as wild and 

 loose as Ridley they must expect to get 

 into trouble." I felt very uncomfortable 

 and wretched, for I was still fond of him : 

 and then I beofan to notice a chanofe in his 

 bearing. He w^as often short and impa- 

 tient with me, who once had been so kind 

 and had tauo^ht me boat-buildinof and the 

 cutting of w^histle-pipes, and a hundred 

 other contrivances for making childhood 

 the goldenest age of all. W^orse than that, 

 I heard him more than once speak in an 

 uncivil and hurtful way to my Father ; this 

 the kind old man took sorely to heart, for 

 67 



