After the usual salutations: “Mitchell, I want you to tell me something about the Wood.” “What Wood’s that, Master Reginald?” “Betton Wood. Do you remember it?” Mitchell slowly raised his hand and pointed an accusing forefinger. “It were your father done away with Betton Wood, Master Reginald, I can tell you that much.” “Well, I know it was, Mitchell. You needn’t look at me as if it were my fault.” “Your fault? No, I says it were your father done it, before your time.” “Yes, and I dare say if the truth was known, it was your father that advised him to do it, and I want to know why.” Mitchell seemed a little amused. “Well,” he said, “my father were woodman to your father and your grandfather before him, and if he didn’t know what belonged to his business, he’d oughter done. And if he did give advice that way, I suppose he might have had his reasons, mightn’t he now?” “Of course he might, and I want you to tell me what they were.” “Well now, Master Reginald, whatever makes you think as I know what his reasons might ’a been I don’t know how many year ago?” “Well, to be sure, it is a long time, and you might easily have forgotten, if ever you knew. I suppose the only thing is for me to go and ask old Ellis what he can recollect about it.” That had the effect I hoped for. “Old Ellis!” he growled. “First time ever I hear anyone say old Ellis were any use for any purpose. I should ’a thought you know’d better than that yourself, Master Reginald. What do you suppose old Ellis can tell you better’n what I can about Betton Wood, and what call have he got to be put afore me, I should like to know. His father warn’t woodman on the place: he were ploughman--that’s what he was, and so anyone could tell you what knows; anyone could tell you that, I says.” “Just so, Mitchell, but if you know all about Betton Wood and won’t tell me, why, I must do the next best I can, and try and get it out of somebody else; and old Ellis has been on the place very nearly as long as you have.” “That he ain’t, not by eighteen months! Who says I wouldn’t tell you nothing about the Wood? I ain’t no objection; only it’s a funny kind of a tale, and ’taint right to my thinkin’ it should be all about the Parish. You, Lizzie, do you keep in your kitchen a bit. Me and Master Reginald wants to have a word or two private. But one thing I’d like to know, Master Reginald, what come to put you upon asking about it to-day?” “Oh! well, I happened to hear of an old saying about something that walks in Betton Wood. And I wondered if that had anything to do with its being cleared away: that’s all.”