The Dead Alive

eful night. My first night at Morwick Farm was no exception to this rule. The little sleep I had was broken and disturbed by dreams. Toward six o’clock in the morn

d, I heard footsteps an

ble. I had passed the night with my window open; I was

ted plainly enough that they were laborers on the farm. Silas was swinging a stout beechen stick in his hand, an

n first, or wait for a cloudy sky. You were seen in the garden, Master Jago; and you may as well

o kept h

, “be pleased to joke on some other subject. You are quite wrong, si

ddressed himself ironical

love to Naomi in the garden last night — oh dear, no! He has had one wife already

ago met this clumsy jesting wi

, with which you have no concern. Be pleased to understand once for all, Mr. Silas, that not so much as the thought of making love to the young lady has ever entered my head. I respect her; I admire her good qualities; but if she

eared to exasperate Silas. He dropped his clumsy irony, and addr

ng it, for a man in your place! What do you mean by calling her ‘not you

at last. He approached defiantly a st

y master?

other. “Naomi is his sweetheart, not mine. Keep out of h

“Don’t forget your own skin, Mr. Silas, when you threaten mine! I have set my mar

taking, got between the two men, and parted them. I had been hurriedly dressing myself while the altercation was

as still going on when I

nd!” I heard Silas say. “Be off with you to the tow

eel my knife again before

rt to break away from the l

y fist!” he shouted “Next

spoke. I stepped up and sn

I am going out for a walk. Your stick will

a stare of angry surprise. John Jago, immediately recovering his

disturbing you,” he said. “I am very much

been tried today. And I have further to request,” I added, addressing myself to Silas, “that you will do me a favor, as your father’s guest. The next time your good spirits lead you into mak

d feeling which was a little overacted, to my thinking. Silas Me

ste any more words on him, Mr. Lefrank, to please you. B

him, even if I had been inclined to do so. He turned about in sulky silence, and, retracing his steps along the path, disappeared ro

n of the wild brown

ss to Narrabee, our market-town here. Can I take any letters to the

deferential bow, and withdrew into the house. I mechanically fo

eadowcroft once more. He had his elbows on the gate of the yard, swinging it slowly backward and forward, and turning and twisting a straw bet

’t ask me to shake hands with John Jago; I hate him too badly for that. If I touch

ng toward the man,

. Lefrank; and I’m not

e as a church in your n

rse the

ou ever g

ourse

ntervals,

ay, sir, wi

ome third person had been listening to our talk.

nly Christian who leaves his Christianity in the pew when he goes out of church. You will never make us friends with John Jago, t

no sort of need for my keeping it any longer. John Jago was going away to Narrabee, and Silas Meadowcroft’s sa

out without one’s stick,” he said. “A man gets used to his

hought of taking a

Silas has his work too. If you go back by the way you came, you will find yourself in the

h thing. I turned back as I was told, and left the