cast upon them. Besides, the nip he had taken to brace himself to meet
the inspector had been two or three, and they robbed him of the
discretion which otherwise might have kept him silent.

"Si-r-r-r, I can and will account for it. Look you at every one of those
children. Every one, right down to this little tot," indicating a little
girl of five, "has to milk and work hard before and after school, besides
walk on an average two miles to and from school in this infernal heat.
Most of the elder boys and girls milk on an average fourteen cows morning
and evening. You try that treatment for a week or two, my fine gentleman,
and then see if your fist doesn't ache and shake so that you can't write
at all. See if you won't look a trifle dozy. Stupidity of country people
be hanged! If you had to work from morning till night in the heat and
dust, and get precious little for it too, I bet you wouldn't have much
time to scrape your finger-nails, read science notes, and look smart."
Here he took off his coat and shaped up to his superior.

The inspector drew back in consternation.

"Mr Harris, you forget yourself!"

At this juncture they went outside together. What happened there we never
knew. That is all we heard of the matter except the numerous garbled
accounts which were carried home that afternoon.


A DROUGHT IDYLL

"Sybylla, what are you doing? Where is your mother?"