It was uneven warfare, for they were all against him. Grannie shook her head and muttered to herself; Hannah told her father he didn’t know his man, and proceeded to enlighten him by recalling incidents which she assumed he had forgotten and Jagger listened with an expression of tolerant amusement until his sister had finished, when he said— “It’s Christmas time, Hannah. There’s to be peace and goodwill, you understand! a sort of a truce: God and t’ devil sitting down at one table!” He spoke in a tone of good-tempered derision, but avoided his father’s eye in which he would have seen an unexpected look of humour. “Now, that’s smart, isn’t it? You’ve wiped the floor wi’ your old dad this time! I suppose you never heard o’ God and t’ devil sitting down together? Reach t’ Book across, Hannah!” He found at once the passage he wanted and read— “Jesus answered them. Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray Him, being one of the twelve.” He paused and glanced across at his son; but meeting with no response, turned over the leaves of the Book and read again— “And when He had dipped the sop He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.” He handed the book back to Hannah, and gazed steadily at Jagger. “That was t’ last time, lad. How oft do you think He’d supped wi’ him before?” “He didn’t cure him,” said Jagger who was secretly proud of his father’s ready wit, though not willing to acknowledge defeat; “Judas was a rank wrong ’un, same as Inman: one o’ them you can’t cure.” “I don’t know whether He cured him or He didn’t,” replied Maniwel; “but I’ve always had an idea ’at Judas rued when he found ’at he’d gone ower far, and there’s never no telling what drove him to put t’ rope round his neck.” “I could wish Inman ’ud get as far as that,” said Jagger flippantly. “If I thought you weren’t lying, lad,” Maniwel replied sternly after looking at him searchingly for a moment; “I should be ashamed of you. The Lord pity you if it’s true!” Jagger flushed and Hannah took up arms in his defence. “You must remember what he’s had to put up with, father; more’n you and me. There isn’t many ’ud have taken it so quietly!” “That may be, lass, and I’m not denying it; but it ’ud grieve me to think ’at Jagger was a murderer in his heart—” “Sure-_ly_ there’s someb’dy knocking!” said grannie whose head had been bent towards the door during this admonition. “I heard naught,” said Hannah, but she rose and went to the door. “There is someb’dy!” she said as she raised the latch and opened it; “Why, it’s Mr. Briggs!” “Baldwin!” Maniwel was on his feet in an instant—“Bring him in, lass!”