Thecarrierswenton，andStockdaleandMrs。Newberryfollowedatadistanceofastone’sthrow。’Whatdothesemendobyday？’hesaid。
’Twelveorfourteenofthemarelabouringmen。Somearebrickmakers，somecarpenters，someshoe-makers，somethatchers。
Theyareallknowntomeverywell。Nineof’emareofyourowncongregation。’
’Ican’thelpthat，’saidStockdale。
’O，Iknowyoucan’t。Ionlytoldyou。Theothersaremorechurch-
inclined，becausetheysupplythepa’sonwithallthespiritsherequires，andtheydon’twishtoshowunfriendlinesstoacustomer。’
’Howdoyouchoose’em？’saidStockdale。
’Wechoose’emfortheircloseness，andbecausetheyarestrongandsurefooted，andabletocarryaheavyloadalongwaywithoutbeingtired。’
Stockdalesighedassheenumeratedeachparticular，foritprovedhowfarinvolvedinthebusinessawomanmustbewhowassowellacquaintedwithitsconditionsandneeds。Andyethefeltmoretenderlytowardsheratthismomentthanhehadfeltalltheforegoingday。Perhapsitwasthatherexperiencedmannerandholdindifferencestirredhisadmirationinspiteofhimself。
’Takemyarm，Lizzy，’hemurmured。
’Idon’twantit，’shesaid。’Besides，wemayneverbetoeachotheragainwhatweoncehavebeen。’
’Thatdependsuponyou，’saidhe，andtheywentonagainasbefore。
ThehiredcarrierspacedalongoverChaldonDownwithaslittlehesitationasifithadbeenday，avoidingthecart-way，andleavingthevillageofEastChaldonontheleft，soastoreachthecrestofthehillatalonelytracklessplacenotfarfromtheancientearthworkcalledRoundPound。Anhour’sbriskwalkingbroughtthemwithinsoundofthesea，notmanyhundredyardsfromLulsteadCove。
Heretheypaused，andLizzyandStockdalecameupwiththem，whentheywentontogethertothevergeofthecliff。Oneofthemennowproducedanironbar，whichhedrovefirmlyintothesoilayardfromtheedge，andattachedtoitaropethathehaduncoiledfromhisbody。Theyallbegantodescend，partlystepping，partlyslidingdowntheincline，astheropeslippedthroughtheirhands。
’Youwillnotgotothebottom，Lizzy？’saidStockdaleanxiously。
’No。Istayheretowatch，’shesaid。’Owlettisdownthere。’
Themenremainedquitesilentwhentheyreachedtheshore；andthenextthingaudibletothetwoatthetopwasthedipofheavyoars，andthedashingofwavesagainstaboat’sbow。Inamomentthekeelgentlytouchedtheshingle，andStockdaleheardthefootstepsofthethirty-sixcarriersrunningforwardsoverthepebblestowardsthepointoflanding。
Therewasasousinginthewaterasofabroodofducksplungingin，showingthatthemenhadnotbeenparticularaboutkeepingtheirlegs，oreventheirwaists，dryfromthebrine:butitwasimpossibletoseewhattheyweredoing，andinafewminutestheshinglewastrampledagain。Theironbarsustainingtherope，onwhichStockdale’shandrested，begantoswervealittle，andthecarriersonebyoneappearedclimbinguptheslopingcliff；drippingaudiblyastheycame，andsustainingthemselvesbytheguide-rope。
Eachmanonreachingthetopwasseentobecarryingapairoftubs，oneonhisbackandoneonhischest，thetwobeingslungtogetherbycordspassingroundthechinehoops，andrestingonthecarrier’sshoulders。Someofthestrongermencarriedthreebyputtinganextraoneonthetopbehind，butthecustomaryloadwasapair，thesebeingquiteweightyenoughtogivetheirbearerthesensationofhavingchestandbackboneincontactafterawalkoffourorfivemiles。
’WhereisOwlett？’saidLizzytooneofthem。
’Hewillnotcomeupthisway，’saidthecarrier。’He’stobideonshoretillwebesafeoff。’Then，withoutwaitingfortherest，theforemostmenplungedacrossthedown；and，whenthelasthadascended，Lizzypulleduptherope，wounditroundherarm，wriggledthebarfromthesod，andturnedtofollowthecarriers。
’YouareveryanxiousaboutOwlett’ssafety，’saidtheminister。
’Wasthereeversuchaman！’saidLizzy。’Why，isn’themycousin？’
’Yes。Well，itisabadnight’swork，’saidStockdaleheavily。
’ButI’llcarrythebarandropeforyou。’
’ThankGod，thetubshavegotsofarallright，’saidshe。
Stockdaleshookhishead，and，takingthebar，walkedbyhersidetowardsthedowns；andthemoanoftheseawasheardnomore。
’IsthiswhatyoumeanttheotherdaywhenyouspokeofhavingbusinesswithOwlett？’theyoungmanasked。
’Thisisit，’shereplied。’Ineverseehimonanyothermatter。’
’Apartnershipofthatkindwithayoungmanisveryodd。’
’Itwasbegunbymyfatherandhis，whowerebrother-laws。’
HercompanioncouldnotblindhimselftothefactthatwheretastesandpursuitsweresoakinasLizzy’sandOwlett’s，andwhereriskswereshared，aswiththem，ineveryundertaking，therewouldbeapeculiarappropriatenessinheransweringOwlett’sstandingquestiononmatrimonyintheaffirmative。ThisdidnotsootheStockdale，itstendencybeingrathertostimulateinhimanefforttomakethepairasinappropriateaspossible，andwinherawayfromthisnocturnalcrewtocorrectnessofconductandaminister’sparlourinsomefar-
removedinlandcounty。
TheyhadbeenwalkingnearenoughtothefileofcarriersforStockdaletoperceivethat，whentheygotintotheroadtothevillage，theysplitupintotwocompaniesofunequalsize，eachofwhichmadeoffinadirectionofitsown。Onecompany，thesmallerofthetwo，wenttowardsthechurch，andbythetimethatLizzyandStockdalereachedtheirownhousethesemenhadscaledthechurchyardwall，andwereproceedingnoiselesslyoverthegrasswithin。
’IseethatOwletthasarrangedforonebatchtobeputinthechurchagain，’observedLizzy。’Doyouremembermytakingyoutherethefirstnightyoucame？’
’Yes，ofcourse，’saidStockdale。’Nowonderyouhadpermissiontobroachthetubs——theywerehis，Isuppose？’
’No，theywerenot——theyweremine；Ihadpermissionfrommyself。
Thedayafterthattheywentseveralmilesinlandinawaggon-loadofmanure，andsoldverywell。’
AtthismomentthegroupofmenwhohadmadeofftotheleftsometimebeforebeganleapingonebyonefromthehedgeoppositeLizzy’shouse，andthefirstman，whohadnotubsuponhisshoulders，cameforward。
’Mrs。Newberry，isn’tit？’hesaidhastily。
’Yes，Jim，’saidshe。’What’sthematter？’
’Ifindthatwecan’tputanyinBadger’sClumpto-night，Lizzy，’
saidOwlett。’Theplaceiswatched。Wemustslingtheapple-treeintheorchetifthere’stime。Wecan’tputanymoreunderthechurchlumberthanIhavesentonthere，andmymixenhevalreadymoreinenthanissafe。’
’Verywell，’shesaid。’Bequickaboutit——that’sall。WhatcanI
do？’
’Nothingatall，please。Ah，itistheminister！——youtwothatcan’tdoanythinghadbettergetindoorsandnotbezeed。’
WhileOwlettthusconversed，inatonesofullofcontrabandanxietyandsofreefromlover’sjealousy，themenwhofollowedhimhadbeendescendingonebyonefromthehedge；anditunfortunatelyhappenedthatwhenthehindmosttookhisleap，thecordslippedwhichsustainedhistubs:theresultwasthatboththekegsfellintotheroad，oneofthembeingstoveinbytheblow。
’’Oddrownitall！’saidOwlett，rushingback。
’Itisworthagooddeal，Isuppose？’saidStockdale。
’Ono——abouttwoguineasandhalftousnow，’saidLizzyexcitedly。
’Itisn’tthat——itisthesmell！Itissoblazingstrongbeforeithasbeenloweredbywater，thatitsmellsdreadfullywhenspiltintheroadlikethat！IdohopeLatimerwon’tpassbytillitisgoneoff。’
Owlettandoneortwootherspickedupthebursttubandbegantoscrapeandtrampleoverthespot，todispersetheliquorasmuchaspossible；andthentheyallenteredthegateofOwlett’sorchard，whichadjoinedLizzy’sgardenontheright。Stockdaledidnotcaretofollowthem，forseveralonrecognizinghimhadlookedwonderinglyathispresence，thoughtheysaidnothing。Lizzylefthissideandwenttothebottomofthegarden，lookingoverthehedgeintotheorchard，wherethemencouldbedimlyseenbustlingabout，andapparentlyhidingthetubs。Allwasdonenoiselessly，andwithoutalight；andwhenitwasovertheydispersedindifferentdirections，thosewhohadtakentheircargoestothechurchhavingalreadygoneofftotheirhomes。
Lizzyreturnedtothegarden-gate，overwhichStockdalewasstillabstractedlyleaning。’Itisallfinished:Iamgoingindoorsnow，’shesaidgently。’Iwillleavethedoorajarforyou。’
’Ono——youneedn’t，’saidStockdale；’Iamcomingtoo。’
Butbeforeeitherofthemhadmoved，thefaintclatterofhorses’
hoofsbrokeupontheear，anditseemedtocomefromthepointwherethetrackacrossthedownjoinedthehardroad。
’Theyarejusttoolate！’criedLizzyexultingly。
