Lanty listened to Bluecaster’s speech with the faint discomfort that he always experienced under his employer’s efforts. In the landlord’s place, and in his own present grim mood, he would have told the lot of them to stay and be drowned or clear out and be damned, but that wasn’t Bluecaster’s way at all. On the contrary, he was always pathetically anxious to carry a stray leg of anybody’s donkey. A question had been raised about the Lugg, he told them--was it really as safe as was made out? There was an old theory just brought up again that in flood-time the tide hadn’t enough room. Well, it always _had_ had enough room, they knew that, but of course nobody could answer for the future. The question was--were they justified in continuing to gamble on the point? The late Mr. Lancaster, whom they had all known, and not only known but respected, had given as his definite opinion that there was no gamble in the matter at all. World-famous engineers had, after the first, backed that opinion, and so far the Lugg had proved them all right. Mr. Lancaster had affirmed that it was no sort of danger to the east side, while it meant a great benefit to the north. Speaking as a landowner, he was naturally anxious to see the estate improved and extended, but, speaking as a man, he was not willing to risk, even upon a mere possibility, good tenants who were also, he hoped, his very good friends. If the Lugg was really a danger, it must go, but he felt sure that wouldn’t be necessary. He would now call upon Mr. Bracken Holliday of Thweng to put before them his views on the matter. Brack was only too ready to be up, in spite of cousinly adjurations to “Hod thy gab, an’ let yan o’ t’aald yans kick off!” Denny was now swimming violently behind Bradley’s back, but Brack ignored him, fixing his eyes on Bluecaster. He was nervous at first--the antagonism in the atmosphere had the passivity but also the resistance of the yard wall--but it ceased to embarrass him as he warmed to his subject. His pace quickened, his words came easily. For the moment he forgot any petty personal animosity, and the sincerity of his belief wrung attention even from the most scathing mocker.