Mickey went off, still grinning. He had no intention of earthing up the potatoes. Digging is hard work, not to be lightly undertaken on a hot afternoon. Meldon watched him out of sight, and then turned to Callaghan. "I'm speaking confidentially to you," he said, "and I hope that nothing I say will--" "Take care," said Callaghan, "that you wouldn't wake herself, talking so loud and all." Meldon looked at Miss King. "She seems pretty sound," he said, speaking more softly. "It's tired she is, the creature,", said Callaghan. "It would be a shame to wake her, though I wouldn't care myself for the notion of sleeping in one of them new-fashioned beds." "What I want to say to you is this," said Meldon. "You know Mr. Simpkins, of course?" "I do." "Is he a particular friend of yours?" "He is not," said Callaghan. "The Lord forgive me for saying the like! but I hate him worse than I do the devil." "I thought you probably would," said Meldon, "and I don't wonder at it. Any man who works the sort of way you were working when I arrived would be pretty sure to hate Simpkins." "Since ever he come to the place," said Callaghan, "there's been neither peace nor quiet in it. There doesn't a day pass but he's up here asking why this isn't done, and what's the matter with the other thing, and whether I couldn't manage to settle up some contraption or other. Many's the time I've said to myself it would be better for me to starve out on the bog beyond than to have the life plagued out of me listening to the way he does be talking." "I expect," said Meldon, "that he's simply trying to make you do your work, and a hard job he has of it." "Any way, it's what I'm not accustomed to; and what's more, won't stand." "You'll have to stand it for a while more, any way. That's what I want to impress on your mind. I can't have a word said against Mr. Simpkins, in the presence of Miss King." "The young lady there?" "Yes, that exact young lady. She's a stranger in these parts, and you're more or less responsible for the opinions she forms of the people she comes across. It's to you she'll be looking for guidance when she's in a difficulty and wants information about any one." "She will, of course. Why wouldn't she? Amn't I old enough to be her father and the father of a dozen more like her?" "Exactly," said Meldon. "So when she consults you about Mr. Simpkins you'll say all the good you can of him, and you'll praise him up to the servants in the house in such a way that they'll repeat what you've said to her." "Would you have me tell what isn't true?" "I would." "Well, then, I'll not do it. I've more respect for myself, let alone the young lady, than to do the like."