Honor Luxmore sat near the window, weaving a hamper out of willow twigs. Her sister Kate was similarly engaged. By the fire sat Oliver, smoking and watching the smouldering peat on the hearth. The sisters earned money by making baskets. Down in the bottoms, in the marshy land, grew willow-bushes; and they were allowed by the farmers to cut as much as they needed free of charge. Towards Christmas, indeed from the 1st of October, there was a demand for ’maunds,’ in which to send away as presents. Honor, Kate, and even some of the younger children could plait withies into hampers, which their father took into Launceston and Tavistock on market-days and sold. Little figures make up long sums, and so the small proceeds of the basket-weaving formed no inconsiderable profit in the year, out of which Honor was able to clothe her sister Kate and one of the other children. Silence had lasted some time in the room; Oliver leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, dreamily watching the fire. At last he said, ’Whatever I am to do for a horse I cannot tell. I’ve sold the carcase to Squire Impey to feed the hounds with for a half-sovereign, and the skin for another ten shillings. That is all I got for Diamond. I suppose I shall have to give up carrying and go on the land. To think of that, I that should be in Coombe Park riding about in a gilded coach with four cream horses and long tails and a powdered coachman on the box—that I should become a day labourer for lack of a horse!’ ’Never mind about Coombe Park, father. It is of no use looking down a well for a lost shilling. Young Mr. Larry Nanspian will lend you a horse for a while.’ ’What will that avail?’ asked Oliver disconsolately. ’It is like sucking eggs when you’ve got the consumption. It puts off the dying a few days, but it don’t cure.’ ’The last horse was paid for. You are not in debt.’ ’Ah! but then I had not so many little ones growing up. I could be trusted to pay. But now they consume every penny I earn.’ ’They cost more as they grow up, but they also earn something. I’ve a mind to do this, father. You know I’ve been asked by several gentlefolk to go to their houses and reseat their cane-bottomed chairs, but I’ve never liked to go because of the distance, and because I wouldn’t leave the house and the children. But now Kate is old enough to take my place and do such little matters as are needed here during the day, I will go about and do the chairs. Oliver Luxmore laughed. ’You’ll never buy a horse with cane bottoms. No, that won’t do. I’ll give up carrying and go work on the roads. You don’t know what grand new macadamised roads are being laid out; they are carrying them round slopes, where before they went straight up. They are filling in bottoms, and slicing into hills. Thousands upon thousands of pounds are being spent, and there are whole gangs of men engaged upon them.’