174 THE SQUIRE AMOXG HIS NEIGHBOURS. 



his servants, wtio seldom changed. He feasted the 

 rich, and did not forget the poor, but allowed them 

 considerable privileges on the estate ; and there are 

 a few old people — it is true there are but few — who 

 remember interviews they had with the Squire when 

 going to gather bilberries in the park, or when sent 

 on some errand to the Hall. An old man, who 

 brightened up at the mention of the Squire's name, 

 said, " Eemember him, I think I do ; he intended 

 that I should do so. I was sent by my mother to 

 the Hall for barm, when, seeing an old man in the 

 yard, and little thinking it was the Squire, I said, 

 ' Sirrah, is there going to be any stir here to-day ? 

 ^ Aye, lad,' says he, ^ come in, and see ;' and danged 

 if he didn't get the horse-whip and stir me round 

 the kitchen, where he pretended to flog me, laugh- 

 ing the while ready to spKt his sides. He gave me 

 a rare blow out though, and my mother found half- 

 a-crown at the bottom of the jug when she poured 

 out the barm." " Did you ever hear of his being 

 worsted by the sweep ?" said another. " He was 

 generally a match for most, but the sweep was too 

 much for him. The Squire had been out, and, being 

 caught in a storm, he called at a public-house to 

 shelter. Seeing that it was Mr. Forester, the 



