"Bain’t no good you standing there whining about yer children. No sugar without t’other things; that’s my last word to ’ee." "Excuse me," said Templeton, entering the shop. "Is there a new order from the Food Controller? If I’m not mistaken, there have been several prosecutions lately of——" "Now look ’ee here," cried Noakes, angrily, "I bain’t a-going to stand no more nonsense from you. Who be you, I’d like to know, coming and ordering me about in my own shop?" "Far from it, Mr. Noakes. I only wished to give you a hint that your customer is entitled to buy sugar without any conditions, and it’s silly to put yourself in the wrong." Noakes glowered and blustered, but previous experience of Templeton’s determination had taught him a lesson, and ultimately he served the woman with a half-pound of sugar. "I want half a dozen of those toy balloons," said Templeton. "They bain’t for sale," growled Noakes. "Indeed! You hang them up as ornaments, I suppose. Perhaps you’ll sell me some if I buy some sugar, say." "Get out of my shop," cried Noakes, furiously. "I tell ’ee I won’t serve ’ee, and I won’t have you imperent young fellers in my shop at all, so now you know it." Templeton shrugged his shoulders. Taking his aunt’s letter from his pocket, he opened it, and said: "There must be a mistake. My aunt says that the principal tradesman is a very civil and obliging person. You know her—Miss Caroline Templeton. She is coming down in a few days to lecture on food economy, and wants you to lay in a stock of various things of which I have a list. But perhaps she is referring to somebody else, and it’s no good bothering you." At the mention of Miss Templeton’s name an uneasy look settled upon Noakes’s face. He watched Templeton replace the letter in his pocket, then said hesitatingly, in a milder tone: "When be the lady coming, sir?" "In ten days or so, and as the letter was written some days ago, it may be under a week from now." The look of uneasiness gave way to a smile. Noakes turned his back, and Templeton, resolving to have nothing more to do with the man, left the shop. *II* Thinking it probable that he might get some balloons at the nearest village about five miles away, Templeton set off to walk there. Eves would not be back till the afternoon; there was plenty of time. As he left the shop he met the man Smail, who had been in Noakes’s company on the day of the experiment with the glider. The man leered at him and passed on. When Templeton, unsuccessful in his quest, returned to the farm at midday, he found Mrs. Trenchard in a state of great agitation. "Oh, Mr. Templeton," she cried, bursting into tears, "to think I’ve lived to see this day!" "Why, what’s the matter, Mrs. Trenchard?" he asked. "He’s there, sir," she nodded towards her husband’s little den, "and ’tis ruin to us, and we’ll have to go to work’us, and my poor Joe——"