Chapter 22

           Theycamedownstairsyawningnextmorning;butskimmingandmilkingwereproceededwithasusual,andtheywentindoorstobreakfast.DairymanCrickwasdiscoveredstampingaboutthehouse.Hehadreceivedaletter,inwhichacustomerhadcomplainedthatthebutterhadatwang.

           “Andbegad,so‘thave!”saidthedairyman,whoheldinhislefthandawoodensliceonwhichalumpofbutterwasstuck.“Yes—tasteforyourself!”

           Severalofthemgatheredroundhim;andMrClaretasted,Tesstasted,alsotheotherindoormilkmaids,oneortwoofthemilking-men,andlastofallMrsCrick,whocameoutfromthewaitingbreakfast-table.Therecertainlywasatwang.

           Thedairyman,whohadthrownhimselfintoabstractiontobetterrealizethetaste,andsodivinetheparticularspeciesofnoxiousweedtowhichitappertained,suddenlyexclaimed—

           “’Tisgarlic!andIthoughttherewasn’tabladeleftinthatmead!”

           Thenalltheoldhandsrememberedthatacertaindrymead,intowhichafewofthecowshadbeenadmittedoflate,had,inyearsgoneby,spoiltthebutterinthesameway.Thedairymanhadnotrecognizedthetasteatthattime,andthoughtthebutterbewitched.

           “Wemustoverhaulthatmead,”heresumed;“thismustn’tcontinny!”

           Allhavingarmedthemselveswitholdpointedknivestheywentouttogether.Astheinimicalplantcouldonlybepresentinverymicroscopicdimensionstohaveescapedordinaryobservation,tofinditseemedratherahopelessattemptinthestretchofrichgrassbeforethem.