The Village by the River | Page 2

of the last speaker.
"He hadn't no near relation, not bein' a married man," went on Burney,
enjoying his advantage; "and Mr. Smith--that's the butler--came and
walked round the garden until it was time for his train to go back to
London."
"He don't pretend as the property's left to him, I suppose?" broke in
Allison, jocosely.
Burney turned his shoulder slightly towards the speaker, and went on,
regardless of the interruption--
"Mr. Smith says as the house up there, and all the property, goes to a
young fellow not more than thirty, of the same name as the old squire;
some third cousin or other."
"Hearsay! just hearsay!" ejaculated Allison, contemptuously. "Who's
seen him, I should like to know? Seein's believin', they say."
"Mr. Smith has," said Burney, a ring of triumph in his voice. "He were
there when old Mr. Lessing died."
There was silence for a moment. The evidence seemed conclusive, and
Allison's discomfiture complete; but, as the forge was the place where
the village gossips gathered every day, it was felt to be wise to keep on
good terms with the owner.
"Seems as if it might be true," said Macdonald, casting a timid glance
at the blacksmith.
"If it is, why wern't he here, to-day, then?" asked Allison, gruffly.
"Not knowin', can't say," Burney answered with a laugh.

"Maybe he'll be comin' to live here," said another.
"He can't! I can tell you that much; there ain't a house he could live in,"
asserted Allison. "His own place is let, you see, to the Websters--whom
Burney there works for,--and he can't turn 'em out, as they have it on
lease; and a good thing too. We don't want no resident squire ridin'
round and pryin' into everything. The old one kept hisself to hisself,
and, as long as the rents was paid regular, he didn't trouble much about
us; and there was always a pound for the widows every Christmas.
Trust me, it's better to have your landlord livin' in London, and not
looking about the place more than once a year. Did Mr. Smith say what
the young one looked like, Burney?"
The question was asked a little reluctantly.
"No; but he thinks he's a bit queer in his notions. He asked him whether
he'd be likely to want his services; and Mr. Lessing laughed quite loud,
and said, one nice old woman to cook and do for him was all he should
require now, or at any time in his life. Mr. Smith ain't sure but what
he's a Socialist."
"I don't rightly know the meaning of it?" said Macdonald, instinctively,
turning to the blacksmith for an explanation.
"It may be a good thing, or it mayn't," declared Allison. "I take it that a
Socialist means one as would take from those as has plenty and give to
those who has nothing. We're born ekal into the world, and they'd keep
us ekal, as far as might be. But it'd take a deal of workin' out, more than
you'd think, lookin' at it first; but I'm not goin' to say that it wouldn't be
handy to have a Socialist squire. He might divide his land ekal among
us, and there'd be no more rent to pay for any of us. There now!"
A general murmur of approval ran round his audience, except with old
Macdonald, who gave a quaint smile.
"But it strikes me that such of us as have saved a tidy bit would have to
hand it out to be divided equal too. It would not be fair as the Squire
should do it all; it would run through, you see."

"Well, I've not saved a brass farthing, so I should come in for a lot; and
I'd settle down and marry to-morrow!" cried Burney, gaily. "But, you
may depend on it, whoever's got the place will stick to it. I must be
getting on to the station. Our people are coming back from abroad this
evening, and I'm to be there to help hoist up the luggage. It takes a
carriage and pair to carry up the ladies, and an extra cart for luggage."
"It's not the luggage you're going to meet, I'll bet; it's the lady's maid,"
said a young fellow, who had not spoken before. "If you married next
week we all know well enough whom you'd take for a wife;" and Tom
moved off amid a shout of laughter.
It was an open secret that Tom was head-over-ears in love with pretty
Rose Lancaster, the somewhat flighty maid of Miss Webster, who, with
her mother, was returning to the Court that evening. Absence had made
his heart grow fonder, and it was beating much faster than usual as he
stood on the station platform awaiting the arrival of the