And the health of the village corresponded to it." "Oh, but, Mrs.Busk, he might have made them do it by persuasion, or at least with their own knowledge--" "No, miss, no! The whole nature of our people, Moonstock or out of it, is never to take victuals by any sort of persuasion.

If St.Paul was to come and preach, 'Eat this or that,' all I had of it in the shop would go rotten.

They hate any meddling with their likings, and they suspect doctor's rubbish in all of it." "I am quite of their opinion," I replied; "and I am glad to hear of their independence.

I always used to hear that in England none of the poor people dared have a will of their own." Mrs.Busk lifted up her hands to express amazement at my ignorance, and said that she "must run away and put the shutters up, or else the policeman would come rapping, and look for a glass of beer, which he had no right to till it came to the bottom of the firkin; and this one was only tapped last Sunday week.

Don't you ever think of the police, miss." Probably this was good advice, and it quite agreed with the opinions of others, and my own impressions as to the arrogant lethargy of "the force," as they called themselves, in my father's case.