The One Moss-Rose

s arrived, and with much fear and trembling were shown into their landlord's presence.

"Meyers," cried the squire, in great wrath, "you leave your farm at Michaelmas; and as to that young scoundrel, your son, I'll have him before the bench next bench-day, and I'll see whether I can't make him pay for such tricks as these."

"What have I done," asked old Meyers, "to deserve being turned adrift? If your honour will hear the whole of the story about this business, I don't believe you'll turn me out on the cold world, after being on that land nigh-hand forty years."

"'Hear!' I have heard enough about it; your son dared to lift a hand to mine, and--and I'll have no tenant on my estate that will ever venture upon such an outrage as that;--it was a great compliment to you for my son to admire your bantams, or anything on your farm, without his being subjected to such an assault."

"I don't want to excuse my boy," said old Meyers, "for touching the young squire; and right sorry I am that he