regarding the shilling with ever-increasing fondness. 'Our Tom will swear when I

gi' him this 'ere sixpence; he'll welly jump out o' his skin wi' glee.'

At dinner Wilfrid said

'I am going to Penfynlas; I shall set out to-morrow, Kate.'

She looked up and nodded, glad that he did not say, 'What do you think about my intention ?'

'I've seen Earnshaw this afternoon,' he went on. 'I told him to telegraph for me if there were any necessity; I can't trust you. The more need there was for me to be there, the more determined you would be not to send for me.'

'I suppose you did not tell Mr. Earnshaw that?'

'Something like it; and he quite agreed with me. I suppose you don't mind being

left ?'

'Oh, not in the least! And how long will you stay at Penfynlas, Wilfrid ?'

'That I can't say; but I will write to you.' Wilfrid left the following morning; and Katharine was again alone in the big house, with only herself, her daily rides, and her daily business to Occupy her time and thoughts.

CHAPTER XI.

'Oh, Kate, nice customs curt'sey to great kings.'-King Henry V.

ILFRID had been gone some ten days or a fortnight, and Katha

rine had heard from him once. In

his letter he merely mentioned having seen Thorgerd, but said nothing as to what had passed between them. Still Katharine was satisfied, and was, just then, well content that Wilfrid should be away. Since he left, two more communications had been sent to him, each couched in less courteous terms than the last. The latest had ended with a vague threat that if he did not do away with the

obnoxious machinery, 'there was them as could make' him. The epistle was vilely written, on smeared and extremely common paper, and was signed with a spirited little etching of a raw head and bloody bones in red and black ink.

Katharine received this one morning among the ordinary business letters.

Her first visit that morning was to the mill. Butterworth was in a state of fright and agitation. All the hands who worked in the beaming-room (beamers and

unionists, and had struck.

evidently afraid of them.

twisters) were Butterworth was

Katharine heard his account, said 'Humph!' She went to

and rode away, thoughtfully.

Healey, feeling that she was not without an adviser. She told Earnshaw what had happened, and said—

'They have been encroaching gradually for some time I mean the union men-but I shall make a stand now. Luckily we have

more non-unionists than unionists-I shall

lock out the rest of the unionists.

you say?'

What do

'It will be a long business, I'm afraid, if you do; and there will be no end of rows with the other hands. I should think twice about it. The people here have not a nice temper, and as for sticking at violence—you are aware they don't know what self-restraint

means.'

They don't, indeed,' said Katharine, her thoughts glancing aside for an instant to the tremendous power possessed by those ignorant, beer - drinking, wife - beating, impulsegoverned men.

'But I am determined,' she added, in a few 'That is what I shall do. Good

moments.

morning.'

Without giving him time to answer, she rode back to the mill, told

Butterworth to

give two days' notice to the union men; if at the end of that time those who had struck