'Bring up that dirty boy! I should like to see you!' cried Ellen,
making SUCH a face. 'I don't believe a word of his coming out of the
Union. I'm sure he's run away out of gaol, by the look of him!'

'Ellen--Harold--come down to your tea!' called Mrs. King.

So they went down; and presently, while Mrs. King was gone up to give
Alfred his tea, there came Mrs. Shepherd bustling across, with her
black silk apron thrown over her cap with the crimson gauze ribbons.
She wanted a bit of tape, and if there were none in the shop, Harold
must match it in Elbury when he took the letters.

Ellen was rather familiar with Mrs. Shepherd, because she made her
gowns, and they had some talk about the new clergyman. Mrs. Shepherd
did not care for clergymen much; if she had done so, she might not
have been so hard with her labourers. She was always afraid of their
asking her to subscribe to something or other, so she gave it as her
opinion, that she should never think it worth while to listen to such
a very young man as that, and she hoped he would not stay; and then
she said, 'So your brother was taking up with that come-by-chance
lad, I saw. Did he make anything out of him?'

'He fancies him more than I like, or Mother either,' said Ellen. 'He
says he's out of Upperscote Union; but he's a thorough impudent one,
and owns he's no father nor mother, nor nothing belonging to him. I
think it is a deal more likely that he is run away from some
reformatory, or prison.'

'That's just what I said to the farmer!' said Mrs. Shepherd. 'I said