his gaiters, because in the night there had been borne in upon him the pressing necessity to cut furze. The spectacle of a tall, thin old man with a vacant eye stalking down Tarbuck Street armed with a furze hook naturally caused people to intimate to Mabel Elsie that she ought to take more care of her father-in-law in the interests of the general public.

Mr. Trembath also suffered from the obsession of market day. Packer's Rents came to spending Thursday between the doorstep and sharing pints on the off chance of Mr. Trembath being run in. Greengrocers were apt to misunderstand his motives in selecting samples of their wares "to show to friend Trevorrow," and he once came perilously near horsestealing. Loitering in the neighbourhood of the "Duke of York" he recognised his own horse and gig standing at the street corner. A clock striking five warned him that it was time to be driving home to Rosewithan. He crossed the road, and giving twopence to the boy who held the horse, patted him on the head, bade him be a good lad, and was preparing to climb into the gig when it's owner came out of the "Duke of York." This man failed to appreciate Mr. Trembath's courteous offer of a lift, and was for haling him to the police station. Luckily Bill Ellis was attracted by the little crowd, and with difficulty set matters right by explaining that Mr. Trembath was a bit barmy."

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Mr. Trembath was indebted to Bill in more ways than one, for it was through little Elfred Ellis that he came to grips with his memory, and made smooth his way to the Rosewithan

of his dreams. As Blondel to the Captive Richard, Elfred revealed his proper self by whistling "We wont go home till morning." That belonged to Rosewithan sure enough; how and why Mr. Trembath could not at first remember. He saw something in Elfred's face which reminded, but with observation, escaped him. When the teasing recollection at last found words Mr. Trembath gripped Elfred by the arm and said, somewhat testily for him :

"Yes, yes, that was the tune, but he didn't whistle it; he played it on some sort of instrument; it was a-no" he loosed his hold and shook his head; "you must excuse me, but I can't remember." Nor did Mr. Trembath appreciate the ironical fact that it was John's perseverance in the spirit of the song which brought him to an early grave and himself to Packer's Rents.

Elfred for his part was attracted by the old man's courtly gravity so different from anything in Packer's Rents; the discovery that, like all men of his native place, Mr. Trembath could play marbles cemented their friendship and freshly vindicated Mabel Elsie's opinion that her father-in-law was a silly ole man.”

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Thus Elfred became a link between the past and the present. Mr. Trembath talked to him familiarly about Rosewithan affairs, Sally's calf and the relative merits of Tango and Spot as hunting dogs, and Elfred remembered; so that the old man and the little child reached a common ground in the forgetfulness of the one, the ignorance of the other of the

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distance in time and place. Very naturally it happened one morning that Mr. Trembath took Elfred by the hand and proposed that they should go and look for bull gurnards in the pullans. Elfred thought they were a long time getting to the sea, but kept implicit faith in Mr. Trembath until his aimless conduct at a crossing attracted the notice of a policeman. Then the youngster began to howl dismally, though it was from him rather than his elder that the man in blue discovered whence they came.

When the two, Elfred still blubbering, appeared at the corner of Packer's Rents, Mrs. Ellis was in the act of telling how much she gave for Elfred's button boots to a group of sympathisers who speculated exactly how long Bill would get for bashing her when he learned that his offspring was missing. It was the sudden change in her voice from woe to piercing anger which caused the others to turn their heads. In a moment Elfred was being shaken to pieces. Whenever Mrs. Ellis paused for breath a supporter yelled in the boy's ear what he would get supposing he were her child. Until Mrs. Ellis in a dangerously quiet voice reminded all and sundry that she owned a monopoly in Elfred. The little group already cheated of a sensation trailed away sniffing their sentiments.

Then Mrs. Ellis turned her attention to Mr. Trembath, who was patiently trying to make out what all the noise was about. As a result of her communicated views about himself, his appearance, his family and his family's failings, Mabel Elsie and Mrs. Ellis did not speak for several weeks, and Mr.

Trembath and Elfred were deprived of each other's society.

The approach of August Monday however, mended all that. After five reconciliatory jugs contributing to the decision that Hampstead and Greenwich were both played out, Mr. Trembath was told that if he “kep out of mischief and didn't cause no more rows" he should be taken to the Crystal Palace. Mr. Trembath was moved, but with an emotion more pressing than gratitude.

"Yes, my dear," he said, nodding. "Now I'll tell you about that. If you'll look upon the left hand side of the cove just above the boulders you'll see a square block of granite all finished off beautifully. That was made for the pedestal of an obelisk or monument, if you will, weighing eighteen tons and taken out of the Rosewithan Quarry to be sent to the Great Exhibition of '51. The obelisk was sent, but the pedestal never followed because old Cap'n Hosken who leased the quarry went scat."

"Oh, chuck it!" cried Mabel Elsie. "Who wants to hear your mouldy stories."

"But my dear," said Mr. Trembath patiently, "this is important, because it was the only time I ever went to law with any man. Cap'n Hosken had hired horses of me, and seeing that his affairs were in the Court I thought it only just to put forward my claim. They awarded me-"

"For Gawd's sake," said Mabel Elsie in desperation, "go along to the corner for a quart and don't muddle your silly ole 'ead with drinking out of the jug.”

This was Mabel Elsie favourite joke, and invariably recalled her father-in-law to his dignity.

"You know, my dear," he said, “we are all Rechabites down to Rosewithan and don't belong to touch anything except perhaps a little sloe or blackberry wine hot and with sugar, at Christmas time. That is good for the system and cheerful as well."

Mr. Trembath was infected with the excitement of August Monday, though he had a very hazy notion of what was going forward. Long before Mabel Elsie had finished curling her hair he had shaved and brushed his clothes, and stood in everybody's way consulting his watch. Though he did not realise that he paid the score, he still was persuaded that he was in command of the party. Bill Ellis good humouredly undertook to keep the old man out of mischief, leaving his wife and Mabel Elsie free to celebrate or to quarrel as their fancy led them. Bill, who perfectly recognised the distance between himself and Mr. Trembath, regarded him vaguely as a thing which might be broken; he always addressed him as "Sir," and with the extraordinary gestures and grimaces which every Englishman knows are necessary to reach the intelligence of the foreigner.

Mr. Trembath caused some trouble in the train by insist ing that they had passed Exeter and must presently come to the sea; but on the whole behaved tolerably well. At the Palace, however, he became a nuisance. Misled by certain objects he remembered, or thought he remembered, from '51 he