"Because you can't buy 'em the clothes, I suppose. What's the use of askin' such questions?" "I'd like to see 'em in white dresses and tweed suits," continued Mr. Gartley, who might have been a model father as far as aspirations were concerned; "a-settin' off proper and regular to Church of a Sunday." "Precious likely, when all you've got goes at the 'Dragon'." "It's a shame as some should be rich and some poor. There were a man come round last election time, and said as how everything ought to be divided up equal, share and share alike, and the workin' classes wouldn't stand bein' oppressed much longer. They'd rise and throw off the yoke. Those was his very words. Some as is doin' nothing now would have to set their hands to work." "If you mean yourself, it might be a good business." "No, it's the idle rich I be talkin' of, like Mr. Everard or Captain Gordon, or even Parson; for what does he do, I should like to know, beyond preach, and that's an easy enough job. What right have Captain Gordon or Mr. Everard to the hares and pheasants? They be wild things, and I says let anybody take 'em as can catch 'em. The folks in Scripture went out huntin', and we're not told as it was called poachin'. They didn't bring Esau up before the magistrates for gettin' his venison." Mrs. Gartley shook her head. Such reasoning was utterly beyond her powers of argument. "I reckon times was different then," she ventured. "They be cruel bad for us poor folks just now." "We'd be as good as anybody else if we had the money," urged her husband. "You're a fine-lookin' wench still, Jane, if you'd a silk dress and a big hat with feathers like Mrs. Gordon's." "What's the use o' talkin'?" replied Mrs. Gartley, amazed at the unwonted compliment. "I'm never likely to wear a silk dress this side o' the grave." "Unlikelier things has come to happen than that! We might be somebodies if----" "If what?" "If something I've got in my mind was to come off." "What do you mean?" "Oh, nothing particular! Only it would be uncommon nice to set up as fine as other folks--in a new country, where no one knowed what we had been." "I don't understand." "Wouldn't you like to go out to America or Australia, and start afresh?" "Why, yes; but we haven't got a penny to go with." "No more we have, that's true," chuckled Mr. Gartley. "You say uncommon clever things sometimes, Jane. No, we've not got a penny-piece to pay our fares--at present." "What are you drivin' at?" "Nothing. Don't you begin askin' questions. You'd best keep a still tongue in your head and shut your eyes, as far as I'm concerned." "Oh, Bob! You're never going to be at some of your old tricks? I tell you it's not safe. A stray hare now and again is bad enough, but when it comes to----"