CHAPTER VI.

THE RED GRAVEL PIT.


At the entrance of the lane leading down to the works at Botfield there
stood a small square building, which was used as the weighing-house for
the coal and lime fetched from the pits, and as the pay-office on the
reckoning Saturday, which came once a fortnight. Upon the Saturday
evening after his interview with the master, Stephen loitered in the lane
with a very heavy heart, afraid of facing Mr. Wyley, lest he should
receive the sentence of dismission from the pit. He did not know what he
could turn his hand to if he should be discharged from what had been his
work since he was eight years old; for even if he could get a place in
one of the farmhouses about as waggoner's boy, he would not earn more
than three shillings a week; and how very little that would do towards
providing food for the three mouths at home! Fearful of knowing the
worst, he lingered about the office until all the other workmen had been
in and come out again jingling their wages.

But the master and his brother Thomas had been taking counsel together
about the matter. Mr. Wyley was for turning the boy off at once, and
reducing him to the utmost straits of poverty; but his more prudent
brother was opposed to this plan.

'Look here, brother James,' he said; 'if we drive the young scamp to
desperation, there's no telling what he will do. Ten to one if he does
not go and tell a string of lies to some of the farmers about here, or
perhaps to the parson at Longville, and they may make an unpleasant
disturbance. Nobody knows and nobody cares about him as it is; but he is