Her child's sympathetic words seemed to have the effect of making Collet cry the harder; but Tabitha's voice responded for her. "Well said, Beatrice, and well done! I love to see a maid whose fingers are not all thumbs. But, dear me, Collet, what a shiftless woman are you! Can't you pack those lads out o' door, and have a quiet house for your work? I should, for sure!" "You'd find you'd got your work cut out, Mistress Hall, I can tell you. `Pack 'em out o' door' means just send 'em to prey on your neighbours, and have half-a-dozen angry folks at you afore night, and a sight o' damage for to pay." "Set them to weed your garden, can't you? and tie up that trailing honeysuckle o'er the porch, that's a shame to be seen. Make 'em useful--that's what I say." "And 'tis what I'd be main thankful to do if I could--that I'll warrant you, Mistress Hall; but without I stood o'er 'em every minute of the time, the flowers 'd get plucked up and the weeds left, every one on 'em. That'd be useful, wouldn't it?" "You've brought them up ill, Collet, or they'd be better lads than that. I'd have had 'em as quat as mice, the whole six, afore I'd been their mother a week." "I cast no doubt, Mistress Hall," said Collet, driven to retort as she rarely did, "if you'd had the world to make, it'd ha' been mortal grand, and all turned out spic-span: look you, the old saw saith, `Bachelors' wives be always well-learned,' and your lads be angels, that's sure, seein' you haven't ne'er a one on 'em; but mine isn't so easy to manage as yourn, looking as I've six to see to." "You've lost your temper, Collet Pardue," said Mrs Tabitha, with calm complacency; "and that's a thing a woman shouldn't do who calls herself a Christian." Before Collet could reply, a third person stood in the doorway. She looked up, and saw her landlord, Mr Benden. As it happened, that gentleman was not aware of the presence of his sister-in-law, who was concealed from him by the open door behind which she was sitting, as well as by a sheet which was hanging up to air in the warm atmosphere of the kitchen. He had not, therefore, the least idea that Tabitha heard his words addressed to Collet. "So your husband has been sent to prison, Mistress, for an heretic and a contemner of the blessed Sacrament?" "My husband contemns not the blessed Sacrament that our Lord Jesus Christ instituted," answered Collet, turning to face her new assailant; "but he is one of them that will not be made to commit idolatry unto a piece of bread." "Well said, indeed!" sneered Mr Benden. "This must needs be good world when cloth-workers' wives turn doctors of religion! How look you to make my rent, Mistress, with nought coming in, I pray you?" "Your rent's not due, Master, for five weeks to come." "And when they be come, I do you to wit, I will have it--or else forth you go. Do you hear, Mistress Glib-tongue?"