"You leave that to me," answered William. "When you see their heads stuck on, you'll know who they be well enough. I've had to take Jarratt's word for the man; but the woman everybody in Lydford will swear to, or I'm no painter." "Be the putty dried out, 'Infant'?" asked Weekes. "Very nearly. I've got the paints mixed and a fine lot of corded rope the very colour of----" "Stop! That'll tell 'em!" cautioned the elder. Then William rose and whispered to the senior conspirator. "And the very thing for the eyes--a piece of luck. I was wandering along thinking of 'em, when what should I see in a rubbish heap but a broken plate--blue as the sky! I've chipped a pair of eyeballs and put the pupils in." He showed enthusiasm for his unlovely task, and Weekes encouraged him. Then Churchward returned to his dummy and filled the nether garments of the male figure with straw. "Mustn't have too much," he said, "for by all accounts he's a thin man--a mere skeleton of a man." Mr. Huggins rose. "I be going, souls," he said. "These here lifeless carpses be getting to make me go goose-flesh along the spine. That true to life--that cruel true they be--that I shall dream bad dreams about 'em if I sit here gloating any more. They be a masterpiece of horror and dreadfuller without their heads than with 'em. I'll ax you to see me up the hill, Jacob, for 'tis a very difficult task for me to breast it alone at my age." "So I will, then," answered Taverner. "And we'll drop into Noah Pearn's at the top." "Spirits 'twill be for me, if anything," said Valentine. "I'm a bit down-daunted along of this gashly spectacle, and I'm almost sorry now I called upon my memory to help. 'Twill vex somebody for certain, and at my great age us ought to rise above politics. 'Tis a terrible gift of likeness-making the 'Infant' have got; but for my part I'd sooner be a common man, wi'out any such devilish cleverness." "Don't you fear," said William. "Nobody will pull your old nose." The painter, quite oblivious of the grave issues behind this outrage, pursued his operations in a light and cheerful spirit. Once taken in hand, he became exceedingly interested in his bizarre task; and now he had grown enthusiastic. He regarded the dolls as an advertisement of neglected talents, and he was only sorry that so much careful work must presently be buried in the earth. But he hoped it might be possible to dig his masterpieces up again.