He has lost his wife now, and she keeps house for him, and Bill says all the young men in Varley are mad about her, but she won't have anything to say to them." "She is right enough there," Captain Sankey said smilingly.

"They are mostly croppers, and rightly or wrongly--rightly, I am afraid--they have the reputation of being the most drunken and quarrelsome lot in Yorkshire.

Do you know the story that is current among the country people here about them ?" "No, father, what is it ?" "Well, they say that no cropper is in the place of punishment.

It was crowded with them at one time, but they were so noisy and troublesome that his infernal majesty was driven to his wits' end by their disputes.
He offered to let them all go.

They refused.