W. W. Jacobs

“ When she's gone I'll have a hunt for that key, so as you can go back to your father and help him to understand his law-books better."
He strode off with the air of a conqueror, and having occasion to go to the village looked in at the shoemaker's window as he passed and smiled broadly. For years Little Haven had regarded Mr. Quince with awe, as being far too dangerous a man for the lay mind to tamper with, and at one stroke the farmer had revealed the hollowness of his pretensions. ”

“ Rose shook him off.
"Better make the best of it," continued the peacemaker.
"She's a girl to be proud of," said Lawyer Quince, keeping pace with the farmer on the other side. "She's got a head that's worth yours and mine put together, with Hogg's thrown in as a little make-weight like."
"And here's the White Swan," said Mr. Hogg, who had a hazy idea of a compliment, "and all of us as dry as a bone. Why not all go in and have a glass to shut folks' mouths?"
"And cry quits," said the shoemaker.
"And let bygones be bygones," said Mr. Hogg, taking the farmer's arm again. ”

“ AWYER QUINCE, so called by his neighbours in Little Haven from his readiness at all times to place at their disposal the legal lore he had acquired from a few old books while following his useful occupation of making boots, sat in a kind of wooden hutch at the side of his cottage plying his trade. The London coach had gone by in a cloud of dust some three hours before, and since then the wide village street had slumbered almost undisturbed in the sunshine. ”

“ Quince, in a voice of easy unconcern, "and I gave you advice from memory. Looking up the subject after you'd gone I found that I was wrong."
"You don't say so?" said the farmer, uneasily. "If I've done wrong I'm only doing what you told me I could do."
"Mistakes will happen with the best of us," said the shoemaker, loudly, for the benefit of one or two murmurers. "I've known a man to marry a woman for her money before now and find out afterwards that she hadn't got any." ”

“ Quince mastered his wrath by an effort, and with no sign of discomposure moved away without making any reference to the identity of the unfortunate in the stable.
"Good-night," said the farmer, "and thank you for coming and giving me the fresh advice. It ain't everybody that 'ud ha' taken the trouble. If I hadn't lost that there key——"
The shoemaker scowled, and with the two fat books under his arm passed the listening neighbours with the air of a thoughtful man out for an evening stroll. ”

“ Rose, trying to push past him.
"Don't trespass on my premises," said Lawyer Quince, interposing his long, gaunt frame. "If you want that door opened you'll have to wait till my boy Ned comes home. I expect he knows where to find the key."
Mr. Rose's hands fell limply by his side and his tongue, turning prudish, refused its office. He turned and stared at Mr. Hogg in silent consternation.
"Never knew him to be beaten yet," said that admiring weather-cock.
"Ned's been away three days," said the shoemaker, "but I expect him home soon." ”

“ Quince subsided into vague mutterings as to what she would do if she were a man, coupled with sundry aspersions upon the character, looks, and family connections of Farmer Rose, which somewhat consoled her for being what she was.
"He has always made jokes about your advice," she said at length, "and now everybody'll think he's right. ”

“ And you've generally got a man about the yard."
Mr. Hogg smacked his thigh in ecstasy.
"But——" began the farmer.
"That's the law," said the autocratic Mr. Quince, sharply. " O' course, if you think you know more about it than I do, I've nothing more to say."
"I don't want to do nothing I could get into trouble for," murmured Mr. Rose.
"You can't get into trouble by doing as I tell you," said the shoemaker, impatiently. " However, to be quite on the safe side, if I was in your place I should lose the key."
"Lose the key?" said the farmer, blankly. ”

“ Quince, struggling to preserve an air of judicial calm.
"No, no," said Mr. Rose; "I ain't going to damage my property like that. I can lock my stable-door and unlock it when I like; if people get in there as have no business there, that's their look-out."
"That's law," said Mr. Hogg; "I'll eat my hat if it ain't."
"Do you mean to tell me you've really lost the key?" demanded Mr. Quince, eyeing the farmer sternly.
"Seems like it," said Mr. Rose. "However, he won't come to no hurt. ”

“ Only that morning the wife of a labourer had called and asked him to hurry the mending of a pair of boots. She was a voluble woman, and having overcome her preliminary nervousness more than hinted that if he gave less time to the law and more to his trade it would be better for himself and everybody else. ”