"That depends upon the weather. Come rain, and that will soon settle; but if frost, and dry weather continue, it will be some time first. They cannot afford to have it flagged and binded." "What will that cost?" "I charge one shilling and sixpence extra for that, as I have to get the turf from the heath; but I shall have some time to wait before I am paid for what I have done. Time was when that family was well off; but no good comes of bad doings." "What do you mean, my man? what bad doings have these poor people been guilty of?" "I see, sir, you are a stranger in these parts, or else the Catchpoles, especially one of them, would be known to you by common report." "Which one is that?" "Margaret, sir." "Well, what of her? has she been unfortunate?" "If she has it has been her own seeking, no one's else. She might have done well, but she would not." "What might she have done? and what has she done?" "Why, sir, she might have married an industrious young man, who would have done well by her; but she chose to encourage a vagabond smuggler, who first set her up with high notions, and then ruined and left her to poverty and shame." "You do not mean to say that the young woman is a depraved and abandoned character?" "No, no; I mean she don't like any honester man, and so no one seems to care anything about her." A tear stole down the stranger's cheeks; and, whoever he was, he seemed to feel a little relief at this information. "Is the young woman living at home with her family?" "Yes; because nobody will hire her. She is laughed at by the females, and the men don't care anything about her. If they could catch her lover, and pocket a hundred pounds reward for his capture, they would like the chance." "How are the family supported?" "Why, I suppose the father earns eight shillings a week, the youngest son one-and-sixpence; but they must have been hard run this winter, and it will take them some time to get up their back-rent and present expenses." "What is the amount of their present expense?" "Why, I must get, if I can, sixteen shillings, somehow or another. I dare say I shall have it; but it will take them some time to pay it. There is ten shillings for the coffin (for I am carpenter, clerk, and sexton), three shillings and sixpence digging the grave, one shilling for tolling the bell, and one shilling and sixpence for the clergyman; that will exactly make the sum." "You say it will take one shilling and sixpence extra for turfing and binding: that will be seventeen shillings and sixpence. How much do you think they owe at the shop?" "I know that it cost them three shillings and sixpence for flannel; but I know it is not paid for yet." "There's a guinea; that will exactly pay you all, will it not?" and the stranger pitched a guinea against the sexton's spade.