246 THE SOUTH COUNTRY 



have this merit besides their excellent taste and provision 

 of much pleasant but not finical labour for the teeth, that 

 one is enough at a time, and that four will, therefore, 

 take a man quite a long way upon the roads of England. 



At the next inn three labourers and the landlord are 

 heated in conversation about some one not present. 



" Quite right," says one, a sober carter whose whip 

 leans against the counter, "'tis the third time this week 

 that a tramp has been to his door, and by the looks of 

 them they didn't call for naught." 



" One of them didn't, I know," says the landlord. 

 " He came in here once and asked for a job and left 

 without a drink, but after he'd been to Stegbert's Cottage 

 he came straight here and ordered a pint of mild. And I 

 heard as he let a chap and a woman sleep two nights 

 running in that rough patch behind the house. Don't you 

 think the parson ought to hear of that? And what does 

 he do for a living? He looks poor enough himself." 



" I don't know. Mr. Jones is a kind-hearted fellow. 

 He stopped my youngest in the street the other day and 

 gave her a penny and measured her hair, and told her 

 she'd have a yard of it some day. They tell me he hasn't 

 a carpet on the floor anywhere, and no parlour, and not 

 even a chest of drawers; and the postman says he hasn't 

 a watch or a clock. What does he do with himself? " 



" I reckon he's mad," says the third, chuckling, " and I 

 don't mind if he is. My old dog doesn't need feeding at 

 home since he's been here. He doesn't eat no meat him- 

 self neither. The widow Nash was reckoning it up, and 

 she says he spends four shillings a week " 



"And a shilling here regular," interjects the landlord. 



