The Stokesley Secret | Page 5

sat down in the window- seat.
Miss Fosbrook breathed freely, and she had almost said, "Thank you,
Sam," but she did not think this was the time; and collecting herself,
she said, "Fun is all very well, and I hope we shall have plenty, but we
ought not to let it grow riotous; and I don't think it was of a good sort
when it was complaining of the food provided for us."
The children were all rather subdued by what she said; some felt a little
cross, and some rather ashamed; and when Mary brought back the dish
replenished with slices, no one said a word as to whether the butter
were thick or thin. The silence seemed to David a favourable occasion
for renewing the great question, "How does a pig pay the rent?"
There was a general giggle, and again Miss Fosbrook was as bad as any:
while David, looking affronted, tapped the table with the handle of his
spoon, and repeated, "I want to know."
"I'll tell you, Davy man," began Henry, first recovering. "The pig is a
very sagacious animal, especially in Hampshire, and so he smells out
wherever the bags of money are sown underground, and digs them up
with his nose. Then he swings them on his back, and gives a curl of his
tail and a wink of his eye, and lays them down just before the landlord's
feet; and he's so cunning, that not an inch will he budge till he's got the
receipt, with a stamp upon it, on his snout."
"No; now is that a true story?" cried little Annie, who was the only
person except David grave enough to speak; while Sam, exploding in
the window, called out, "Why, don't you know that's why pigs have
rings in their noses?"
"There was a lady loved a swine; 'Honey,' says she, I'll give you a silver

trough.' 'Hunks!' says he,"
continued Hal; "that shows his disinterestedness. Oh, werry sagacious
haminals is pigs!"
"For shame, Hal," cried Elizabeth, "to confuse the children with such
nonsense."
"Why, don't you think I know how the rent is paid? I've seen Papa on
rent-day hundreds of times."
"But the pigs, Hal; did you ever see the pigs?"
"Thousands of times."
"Bringing bags of gold? O Hal! Hal!"
"I want to know," continued David, who had been digesting the
startling fact, "how the pig swings the bag on his back? I don't think
ours could do it."
"It's a sort made on purpose," said Hal.
"Made on purpose by Mr. Henry Merrifield," said Susan, at last able to
speak. "Don't believe one word, David dear; Hal is laughing at you."
"But how does a pig do it?" asked David, returning to the charge.
"Why do you want to know, my dear?" asked Miss Fosbrook.
"Mary's sister said so."
"I know," exclaimed Susan; "Davy went out with the nursery children
to-day, and they went to see Mary's sister. Her husband is drowned
because he was a sailor; and the Mermaid went to South America; and
there are five little tiny children."
"Of the mermaid's?" cried Harry.
"No, no; the Mermaid was the ship, and it was wrecked, and they have
noticing to live upon; and she takes in washing, and is such a nice
woman. Mamma said we might take them our old winter frocks, and so
David went there."
"And she said if she had a pig to pay the rent she should be quite
happy," said David. "How could he?"
"I suppose," said Miss Fosbrook, "the pig would live on her garden-
stuff, her cabbage-leaves and potato-skins; and that when he was fat
she would sell him, and pay the rent with the money. Am I right, Sam?
you know I am a Cockney."
"You could not be more right if you were a Hampshire beg," said Sam.
"Jack Higgins was her husband's name, and a famous fellow he was; he
once rigged a little boat for me."

"And he sailed with Papa once, long ago," added Susan; to which Sam
rejoined,
"More fool he to go into the merchant service and get drowned, with
nothing for his widow to live upon."
"I say," cried Hal, "why shouldn't we give her a pig?"
"Oh, do!" earnestly exclaimed David.
"I'll catch one," broke from John and Annie at once; "such lots as there
are in the yard!"
"You would catch it, I believe," said Sam disdainfully; while Susan
explained,
"No; those are Papa's pigs. Purday would not let you give them away."
"Of course," said Henry, "that was only those little geese. I meant to
make a subscription among ourselves, and give her the pig; and won't
she be surprised!"
"Oh! yes, yes," shouted the children; "let's do it all ourselves!"
"I've got one-and-threepence, and sixpence