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and blank silence, when he came to the end of his panegyric on his possessions and accomplishments, and remembered his grievance. Forthwith he re-
lated at length the affair of the night before: how he had been stoned by a dozen hulking scoundrels on the common. When he came to the end of it, he looked round for sympathy.

His audience wore a strained rather than sympa-
thetic air, all of them except the higher mathema-
tician who had turned away and was coughing vio-
lently.

The vicar broke the silence; he said: "Er—er—yes; most extraordnary. But I don't think it could have been the villagers. They're—er—very peaceful people."

"It must have been some rowdies from Rowington," said the squire in the loud tone of a man try-
ing to persuade his hearers that he believed what he said.

Erebus rose and walked to the gravel path; their eyes fixed in an incredulous unwinking stare.

She picked up three pebbles from the path, choos-
ing them with some care. The first pebble hit the weathercock, which rose above the right gable of