"Oh, there you are!" said Walden--"Well, now what's going to be done?" "Nothin's goin' to be done;" rejoined Bainton stolidly, with his usual inscrutable smile; "Unless m'appen Spruce is 'avin' every bone broke in his body 'fore we gets there. Ye see, he ain't got no written orders like,--and mebbe Leach 'ull tell him he's a liar and that Miss Vancourt's instructions is all my eye!" "Miss Vancourt's instructions?" echoed Walden; "Has she given any?" "Of coorse she has!" replied Bainton, triumphantly; "Which is that the trees is not to be touched on no account. And she's told Spruce, through me,--which I bellowed it all into his ear,--to go and meet Leach this marnin' up by the Five Sisters and give him 'er message straight from the shoulder!" Walden's face cleared and brightened visibly. "I'm glad--I'm very glad!" he said; "I hardly thought she could sanction such an outrage--but, tell me, how did you manage to give her my message?" "'Tworn't your message at all, Passon, don't you think it!" said Bainton; "You ain't got so fur as that. She's not the sort o' lady to take a message from no one, whether passon, pope or emp'rur. Not she! It was old Josey Letherbarrow as done it." And he related the incidents of the past evening in a style peculiar to himself, laying considerable weight on his own remarkable intelligence and foresight in having secured the 'oldest 'n'abitant' of the village to act as representative and ambassador for the majority. Walden listened with keen interest. "Yes,--Leach is likely to be quarrelsome," he said, at its conclusion; "There's no doubt about that. We mustn't leave Spruce to bear the brunt of his black rage all alone. Come along, Bainton!--I will enforce Miss Vancourt's orders myself if necessary." This was just what Bainton wanted,--and master and man started off at a swinging pace for the scene of action, Bainton pouring forth as he went a glowing description of the wonderful and unexpected charm of the new mistress of the Manor.