Into this company came Emmet Wilson and Collet Pardue. Both had brought full baskets from the fair, which they set down in a corner, and turned to amuse themselves with a little chat with their friends. "Any news abroad?" asked Collet. She dearly loved a bit of news, which she would retail to her quiet husband as they sat by the fireside after the day's work was done. "Well, not so much," said John Banks, the mason, to whom Collet had addressed herself. He was the brother of Mr Benden's servant Mary. "Without you call it news to hear what happed at Briton's Mead last night." "Why, whatso? Not the mistress come home, trow?" "Alack, no such good hap! Nay, only Tabby came down to see the master, and brought her claws with her." "Scrat him well, I hope?" "Whipped him, and laid on pretty hard to boot." "Why, you never mean it, real true, be sure!" "Be sure I do. He's a-bed this morrow." "I have my doubts if there'll be many tears shed in Staplehurst," said Mistress Final, laughing, as she went past with a plate of biscuit-bread, which, to judge from the receipt for making it, must have been very like our sponge cake. "He's none so much loved of his neighbours," remarked Nicholas White, who kept a small ironmonger's shop, to which he added the sale of such articles as wood, wicker-work, crockery, and musical instruments. The shorter and livelier of the travellers spoke for the first time. "Pray you, who is this greatly beloved master?" John Fishcock, the butcher, replied. "His name is Benden, and the folks be but ill-affected to him for his hard ways and sorry conditions." "Hard!--in what manner, trow?" "Nay, you'd best ask my neighbour here, whose landlord he is." "And who'd love a sight better to deal with his mistress than himself," said Collet, answering the appeal. "I say not he's unjust, look you, but he's main hard, be sure. A farthing under the money, or a day over the time, and he's no mercy." "Ah, the mistress was good to poor folks, bless her!" said Banks. "She's dead, is she?" asked the stranger. "No, she's away," replied Banks shortly. "Back soon?" suggested the stranger. John Banks had moved away. There was a peculiar gleam in his questioner's eye which he did not admire. But Collet, always unsuspicious, and not always discreet, replied without any idea of reserve. "You'd best ask Dick o' Dover that, for none else can tell you." "Ah, forsooth!" replied the stranger, apparently more interested than ever. "I heard as we came there were divers new doctrine folks at Staplehurst. She is one of them, belike?--and the master holds with the old? 'Tis sore pity folks should not agree to differ, and hold their several opinions in peace." "Ah, it is so," said unsuspicious Collet.