CHAPTER II. THE MILLER'S CALCULATIONS.--HIS HOPES AND FEARS.--THE
NURSE-BOY.--CALM.

The windmiller went back to his work. He had risked something over
this business in leaving the mill in the hands of others, even for
so short a time. Then the storm abated somewhat. The wind went
round, and blew with less violence a fine steady breeze. The miller
began to think of going into the dwelling-room for a bit of supper
to carry him through his night's work. And yet he lingered about
returning to his wife in her present mood.

He stuck the sharp point of his windmiller's candlestick {1} into a
sack that stood near, and drawing up a yellow canvas "sample bag "--
which served him as a purse--from the depths of his pocket, he began
to count the coins by the light of the candle. He counted them over
several times with increasing satisfaction, and made several slow
but sure calculations as to the sum of ten shillings a week by the
month, the quarter, the half, and the whole year. He then began
another set of calculations of a kind less pleasant, especially to
an honest man,--his debts.

"There's a good bit to the doctor for both times," he murmured; "and
there's the coffin, and something at the Heart of Oak for the
bearers, and a couple of bottles red wine there, too, for the
missus, when she were so bad. And both the boys had new shoes to
follow in,--she would have it they should follow"-- And so on, and
so on, the windmiller ran up the list of his petty debts, and saw
his way to paying them. Then he put the money back into the sample