Esther Waters

he should detect any swelling. William came every day for news. He had five shillings on; he stood to win five pounds ten-quite a little fortune-and he often stopped

e hesitated, then gave it him, and he beat it against the brick wall. "There," he said,

rah went by an ho

se gardens, have you? Dancing-hall, theatre, sorcerers-every bless

he way you ar

will yo

I daresay they are no worse than any other place.

really

seems useless lik

t. Well, will you

ly not o

on Monday week. This reminded them that henceforth they would see each other every day, and, speaking o

e to have been a jockey, and I could have ridden well enough-the Gaffer thought better at one time of my riding than he did o

re speaking seriously, and really wished

wages would not be due till the end of August. But William offered to lend her the money, and he pressed the hat containing the bits of paper on which were written the ho

itchen," said Mrs. Latch, turning from her work.

le, mother; it ain't bett

hat way, and it goes on from bad to worse. I never saw any goo

t unfolded hers. She looked at Mrs. Latch and regretted having taken the ticket in the lottery. She feared jeers from Sarah, or from Grover

by Jingo! She has

fs was heard in the yard, and t

aving his bony hand to the Demon, who rode past on Silver Bra

od; he was beginning to go a bit short a week ago. We shall want some

d went the mile gaily, becoming harder and stronger. And in the intermittent swish of showers blown up from the sea Woodview grew joyous, and a conviction of ultimate triumph gathered and settled on every face except Mrs. Barfi

he for the pleasure of holding his tongue." Peggy was Miss Margaret Barfield, a cousin, the daughter of a rich brewer. "If he brings in your let

he never lets us near h

ere talkin

never to have been a servant. His family

you never can tell who is who. But we all likes William and 'ates th

ule of her lord, always anxious to obliterate herself against the hedges when you met her in the lane or against the pantry door when any of the family knocked to ask for hot water, or came with a letter for the post. By nature a bachelor, he was instinctively

eopold would say, "Can I

th

hat--" and Ginger would invent some paltr

ears he had done his little constitutional, always taking the same road, always starting within a few minutes of twelve, always returning in time to lay the cloth for lunch at half-past one. The hour b

there for-just for the pleasure of seeing them swallow the lies he tells them.... He has been telling them lies about the horses for the last twenty years, and still he

horse did

h on his conscience. But his conscience don't trouble him much; if it did he'd be in his grave long ago. Lies, lies, nothing but lies! But I daresay I'm too 'ard on

't know the 'ors

ng in nicely with th

up without knowing. Mr. Leopold is very rich, so they say. The boys tell me t

has? One hears of the winnings, but t