"He's a strange good man," said Mrs Slee, grimly, as she watched the vicar down the path; "and he must hev a vast o' money, giving away as he is raight and left. Well, I won't hev him cheated if I can help it, for the more he gives the more he may. Who's yon at the back?" The last remark was jerked out as a soft tap was heard at the kitchen door, and on going to answer it, there stood Sim Slee. "Well?" "Well?" "Didn't I tell thee as thou needn't come here?" said Mrs Slee. "I thowt you wouldn't darken parson's door again." "What's that as smells?" said Sim, giving a sniff. "Soup for them as you and your strike folk have left to pine to dead," snapped Mrs Slee. "Is that some on it in they pancheons?" said Sim. "Yes, it is," said his wife, sulkily. "I heered tell on it," said Sim. "He've been a scrattin about at all the butchers', and buying up weighs of cag mag as they couldn't sell. I saw a basket o' stinking bones come up to the gate, and I heerd at the Bull as he's gotten four beasts' heads promised. Yah! it's a shame as such as him should hev a place like this, and five hundred a year." "Thou fulsome!" exclaimed Mrs Slee, angrily. "I wean't stand by and hear parson talked about like that." "All raight," said Sim, sneering; "he's won you ower then. But what hev you gotten to eat?" "Nowt," said Mrs Slee, shortly. "Here, just take thee scithers, and coot the dwiny ends off my collar," said Sim, holding up the ragged but scrupulously clean collar of the shirt he wore; and this duty was diligently performed by his wife. "Some one telled me as the soup meat was covered wi' maddick bees," said Sim, as soon as the task was done. "Then some one telled thee a lie," said Mrs Slee, sharply. "Power up a few of it in a basin," said Sim, after examining the broad earthen pans in which the thick soup steamed. "Let's see what sorter stuff the downtrodden serf is to be compelled to eat." "It isn't good enough for such as thou," said Mrs Slee, sharply. Sim took up the spoon, and with an air of disgust raised some of the soup and let it drop back, exhaling as it did so a most tantalising odour for a hungry man. "I just come by Riggall's, the bone-setter's," said Sim; "and he says as he won't hev parson meddling wi' his trade, if doctor does. Why, he tied up Binney Mawtrop's hand as he got in the wheel." "Yes, and I held a basin and a sponge for him," said Mrs Slee, eyeing her husband. "He owt to hev let him bleed to dead, of course." "Say, owd lass," said Sim, "is this stuff fit to yeat?" "Fit to yeat, thou unconditioned fulsome! it ain't fit for thee. Bread and watter's what such shacks as thou ought to hev, and nowt besides." "Thy tongue's gotten a strange and rough edge to it this morning, moother," said Sim, grinning, and longing to convey the spoon to his mouth, but feeling that it would not be consistent.