"It wur Tummas Reddy," he burst forth helplessly. "Lord ha' mercy on me!" "Where is he?" "He's i' theer," jerking his cap toward the bar-room, "an' I'm i' th' worst mess I ivver wur i' i' my loife. I'm fettlit now, by th' Lord Harry!" "Which way does he go home?" "Straight along the road here, if I _mun_ get up to my neck--an'--an' be dom'd to him!--if I may tak' th' liberty." "Settle yourself to stand here till he comes out, and then tell me which is him." "Eh!" "When he comes out say the word, and stay here till he does. I've got a bit o' summat to settle with him." "Will ta--will ta promise tha will na let out who did it? If tha does, th' bury in' club'll ha' brass to pay out afore a week's over." "You're safe enow," Haworth answered, "if you'll keep your mouth shut. They'll hear nowt from me." A gleam of hope--a faint one--illumined Mr. Briarley's countenance. "I would na ha' no objections to tha settlin' wi' him," he said. "I ha' not nowt agen that. He's a chap as I am na fond on, an' he's getten more cheek than belongs to him. I'd ha' settled wi' him mysen if I had na been a fam'ly man. Ha'in' a fam'ly to think on howds a man back. Theer--I hear 'em comin' now. Would yo,'" in some hurry, "ha' owt agen me gettin' behind th' pump?" "Get behind it," answered Haworth, "and be damned to you!" He got behind it with alacrity, and, as it was not a large pump, was driven by necessity to narrowing himself to its compass, as it were, and taking up very little room. Haworth himself drew back somewhat, and yet kept within hearing. Four or five men came out and went their different ways, and Mr. Briarley made no sign; but as the sixth, a powerful, clumsy fellow, passed, he uttered a cautious "Theer he is!" Haworth did not stir. It was a dark, cloudy night, and he was far enough from the road to be safe from discovery. The man went on at a leisurely pace. Mr. Briarley re-appeared, breathing shortly. "I mun go whoam," he said. "Sararann----" and scarcely waiting for Haworth's signal of dismissal, he departed as if he had been shot from a string-bow, and fled forth into the shadows. Mr. Reddy went at a leisurely pace, as has been before observed. He usually went at a leisurely pace when he was on his way home. He was a "bad lot" altogether, and his home was a squalid place, and his wife more frequently than not had a black eye or a bruised face, and was haggard with hunger and full of miserable plaints and reproaches. Consequently he did not approach the scenes of his domestic joys with any haste. He was in a worse humor than usual to-night from various causes, the chief one, perhaps, being that he had only had enough spirituous liquor to make him savage and to cause him to enliven his way with blasphemy.