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Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Elementary to Advanced Practices
Series Editors: Vijender Kumar Solanki, Zhongyu (Joan) Lu, and Valentina E Balas
In the emerging smart city technology and industries, the role of artificial intelligence is getting
more prominent. This AI book series will aim to cover the latest AI work, which will help the naïve
user to get support to solve existing problems and for the experienced AI practitioners, it will assist
to shedding light for new avenues in the AI domains. The series will cover the recent work car-
ried out in AI and its associated domains, it will cover Logics, Pattern Recognition, NLP, Expert
Systems, Machine Learning, Block-Chain, and Big Data. The work domain of AI is quite deep, so
it will be covering the latest trends which are evolving with the concepts of AI and it will be help-
ing those new to the fiield, practitioners, students, as well as researchers to gain some new insights.
Cyber Defense Mechanisms
Security, Privacy, and Challenges
Gautam Kumar, Dinesh Kumar Saini, and Nguyen Ha Huy Cuong
Artificial Intelligence Trends for Data Analytics Using Machine Learning and Deep
Learning Approaches
K. Gayathri Devi, Mamata Rath and Nguyen Thi Dieu Linh
Transforming Management Using Artificial Intelligence Techniques
Vikas Garg and Rashmi Agrawal
AI and Deep Learning in Biometric Security
Trends, Potential, and Challenges
Gaurav Jaswal, Vivek Kanhangad, and Raghavendra Ramachandra
Enabling Technologies for Next Generation Wireless Communications
Edited by Mohammed Usman, Mohd Wajid, and Mohd Dilshad Ansari
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Recent Trends and Applications
Edited by S. Kanimozhi Suguna, M. Dhivya, and Sara Paiva
For more information on this series, please visit: https://www.routledge.com/Artificial-
Intelligence-AI-Elementa ry-to-Advanced-Practices/book-series/CRCAIEAP
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Recent Trends and Applications
Edited by
S. Kanimozhi Suguna, M. Dhivya, and Sara Paiva
First edition published 2021
by CRC Press
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The right of S. Kanimozhi Suguna, M. Dhivya, and Sara Paiva to be identified as the authors of the editorial
material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and
78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot
assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The authors and publish-
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Typeset in Times
by Deanta Global Publishing Services, Chennai, India
Contents
Preface......................................................................................................................vii
Acknowledgements....................................................................................................ix
Editor biographies......................................................................................................xi
List of Contributors................................................................................................. xiii
v
vi Contents
vii
Acknowledgements
We would like to recognize CRC Press for providing us with the opportunity and
the professionalism shown by teams along the process. Namely, we would like to
thank Ms. Erin Harris and Keith Emmanual Arnold for all the support and leadership
during the course of publishing this book.
A word of appreciation and recognition to all the authors who have contributed
to this book. Also, a special recognition and our gratitude to all the reviewers who
made an extraordinary effort to enhance the quality of the final chapters of this
book.
Kanimozhi Suguna S has a great privilege to thank the Vice Chancellor,
Dean – School of Computing and other fellow colleagues of SASTRA Deemed
University, Thanjavur, for their assistance in and encouragement in throughout the
progress of the publication. She would like to extend her gratitude to her husband,
Shyam Sundar M, son Dharun Krishna S, and parents Gunavathi K and Subramanian
G. She would also like to thank her brother Arun Prasad S and all his family mem-
bers for their continuous support.
Dhivya wishes to thank Dr. Mohan Manghnani, Chairman, New Horizon Edu
cational Institutions and Dr. Manjunatha, Principal, New Horizon College of
Engineering, for their whole-hearted cooperation and great encouragement in all
endeavours. She also wishes to thank her parents for their continuous support and
motivation.
With great respect and honour, Sara Paiva would like to thank the Instituto
Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Portugal and all her colleagues. Special thanks
go to her husband Rogério Paiva, children Diana and Leonardo Paiva, and also her
parents for all their support.
Obviously, a big word of appreciation goes to our families, our main source of
inspiration and strength, namely, in these difficult times we have lived in the last
year. Dedicated to The Almighty – The Supreme Power That Drives Us.
ix
Editor biographies
S. Kanimozhi Suguna received her B.Sc., M.C.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D., in 2005,
2008, 2009, and 2015, respectively. She has seven years of teaching experience and
is working as Assistant Professor in the Department of CSE, School of Computing,
SASTRA University, Thanjavur, India since 2017. Her research interests include
image processing, data mining, web mining, and wireless sensor networks. She
is an editorial member in IGI: Global and Editorial Advisory Board in various
International Conferences. She is a member of IEEE and CSI. She has published 4
book chapters, 12 international journals, and 5 conference presentations.
M. Dhivya received her B.E., M.E., and Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering in
2006, 2008, and 2013, respectively. At present, she is working with New Horizon
College of Engineering, Bangalore. She has worked as Associate Professor in the
Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering at Dr. N.G.P. Institute
of Technology. She has received a grant of Rs. 4,00,000 from Texas Instruments
for organizing four-day faculty empowerment programme on “Analog, Power,
Embedded Systems and Wireless (IoT).” She has guided 30 postgraduate scholars
in several disciplines: Applied Electronics, Electric Drives and Embedded Control,
Power Electronics and Drives and Control, and Instrumentation. Her research inter-
ests are wireless sensor networks, embedded systems, real-time systems, optimiza-
tion techniques, and machine learning.
xi
Contributors
Alper Yılmaz Indu Manimaran
Department of Electrical and Electronics Deaprtment of Computer Science
Bursa Technical University California State University
Turkey Long Beach, California
xiii
xiv Contributors
CONTENTS
1.1 Literature Review..............................................................................................3
1.1.1 Simulation Methodologies Applied in Wireless Communication
Systems (WCS)......................................................................................3
1.1.1.1 Simulation of WCS................................................................. 3
1.1.1.2 Discrete Event Simulation....................................................... 4
1.1.1.3 Event Scheduling....................................................................7
1.1.2 Channel Assignment in WCS.............................................................. 10
1.1.3 Multi-Agent Systems in WCS.............................................................. 12
1
2 Artificial Intelligence (AI)
1.1 LITERATURE REVIEW
1.1.1 Simulation Methodologies Applied in Wireless
Communication Systems (WCS)
1.1.1.1 Simulation of WCS
A real wireless network’s efficiency and behaviour can be tested using simulation
systems without the need for field experiments and prototype creation. The simula-
tion solutions give the opportunity to grow to a desired wireless network channel
allocation schemes, network architectures, etc. The simulation software development
approach becomes a very critical issue influencing the resulting network model and
efficiency, due to the complexity of real wireless networks. A big challenge for wire-
less network simulation is the discovery of a way to tackle the actual actions of the
network and not just speed up execution time using parallel machines. The simula-
tion model and environment structure affect the performance of simulated wireless
networks, and for this reason the design and development of such systems is studied
thoroughly. Modern simulation tools provide network engineers with the opportu-
nity to develop and test wireless communication systems at low cost very quickly.
There are three major simulation techniques (Chaturvedi, A., et al. 2001): discrete
event simulation (DES), system dynamics, and multi-agents. The most widely known
simulation tools are based on the DES concept and use various model architectures
to implement. A more accurate and reliable simulation environment can be developed
with the help of efficient model architectures (Chaturvedi, A., et al. 2001; Liu, W.,
et al. 1996; Zeng, X., et al. 1998; Bajaj, L., et al. 1999; Kelly, O.E., et al. 2000; Liu, et al.
2001; Boukerche, A., et al. 2001; Bononi, L. and D’Angelo, G., 2003) to speed up
execution times. Rapid development of parallel systems with multiple processors has
contributed to more effective simulation execution. On the other hand, the program-
ming technology, and especially the multithreading systems, provides an alternative
approach to simulation model implementation. Inside the simulation model, the actual
network activities must be realistically modelled. In the case of cellular networks,
such operations are the essential network functions such as new call entry, realloca-
tion (handoff) (Krishna, S., et al. 2016), device movement, and call termination. The
simulation model will include sub-models for three types of basic components:
• Facilities by network
• Network operating parameters (e.g. number of cells, base station locations,
allocation channel schemes, etc.)
4 Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The sequential simulation is a very time-consuming method due to the high complex-
ity of the models used (Liu, W., et al. 1996) and thus the parallelization is a critical
issue particularly for wireless networks of large scale (Liu, W., et al. 1996; Zeng, X.,
et al. 1998; Bajaj, L., et al. 1999; Kelly, O.E., et al. 1999; Liu, et al. 2001; Boukerche,
A., et al. 2001; Bononi, L. and D’Angelo, G. 2003). The key goal of parallel simula-
tion is the minimization of the execution time (Zeng, X., et al. 1998; Bajaj, L., et al.
1999). In the process of parallelization, sets of network entities have to be mapped to
multiple processors to achieve load balance (Zeng, X., et al. 1998). Multiple-processor
load distribution is a key issue (Liu, W., et al. 1996; Zeng, X., et al. 1998; Bajaj, L., et
al. 1999). Several features, procedures, and entities, such as geographical area (Kelly,
O.E., et al. 1999; Boukerche, A., et al. 2001), radio channels (Kelly, O.E., et al. 1999;
Boukerche, A., et al. 2001), interference calculations (Kelly, O.E., et al. 1999), mobile
hosts (MH) (Boukerche, A., et al. 2001), and network cells (Boukerche, A., et al.
2001) can be parallelized in parallel implementations. There are important problems
that need to be tackled effectively in order to achieve optimum parallelization, such as
synchronization of processors (Zeng, X., et al. 1998; Bajaj, L., et al. 1999; Boukerche,
A., et al. 2001), load balancing control (Liu, W., et al. 1996; Zeng, X., et al. 1998), and
cycle mapping to processors (Liu, W., et al. 1996; Zeng, X., et al. 1998). The above-
mentioned studies have resulted in two basic points for further investigation:
Sequential DES systems are the most common in science community. In such systems,
in a three-step cycle, the scheduling mechanism can be analyzed:
ns-2, ns-3 (Fall, K., and Varadhan, K., 2015), widely accepted by the scientific com-
munity (Kurkowski, S., et al 2005), use this scheduling mechanism for event execu-
tion. In ns-2, ns-3 (Fall, K., and Varadhan, K., 2015), the scheduler selects the next
earliest incident, executes it until ending it up, and returns to run the next event of
highest priority or with least time stamp among the outstanding events. In ns-2, ns-3
(Fall, K., and Varadhan, K., 2015), only one operation can be executed at any given
time, and so it is a single-threaded simulator. If two or more events are scheduled to
take place (to execute) at the “same time,” their execution is performed in a first come
first scheduled scheme – first dispatched, based on the time stamp of each incidence
and thus, the simulation model’s adaptability to the actual network behaviour, includ-
ing all relevant network physical activities, is strongly based on the scheduling algo-
rithm. On the other hand, parallel implementation of DES systems was introduced in
the literature primarily to achieve speed up of execution. Due to the fact that the main
goal is load distribution and speed-up execution, the parallel DES systems do not
modify the principle of the event scheduling found in sequential DES. The system per-
formance is thus a critical point in terms of execution time (Liu, W., et al 1996; Zeng,
X., et al 1998; Bajaj, L., et al 1999; Kelly, O.E, et al 1999; Liu, et al. 2001; Boukerche,
A., et al 2001; Bononi, L. and D’Angelo, G., 2003). Parallel efficiency plays a major
role in the performance of the entire system (Liu, W., et al. 1996; Zeng, X., et al. 1998;
Kelly, O.E, et al. 1999; Boukerche, A., et al. 2001) and therefore synchronization of
multiple processors is important (Liu, W., et al. 1996; Zeng, X., et al. 1998).
Physical time is the time in the physical (real) system; simulation time is the mod-
elled physical time in the simulation system; and wall-clock time is the simulation
program’s runtime.
The definition of simulation time is given in Fujimoto (2000) as follows:
«Simulation time is defined as a totally ordered set of values in which each value
represents an instant of time in the modelled physical system. Furthermore,
for any two simulation time values T1 representing physical time P1, and
6 Artificial Intelligence (AI)
T2 representing P2, if T1 < T2, then P1 occurs before P2, and (T2 − T1) is
equal to (P2 −P1) K for some constant K. If T1 < T2 then T1 is said to occur
before T2 and if T1>T2, then, obviously T1 happened after T2.»
according to Kelly et al. (1999), and significant speedup is achieved using up to eight
processors. For the effective simulation of wireless and mobile networks, a cluster
of workstations is used (Boukerche, A., et al. 2001). Quite impressive speedup is
accomplished using up to 16 processors based on Mobile Host partitioning. For par-
allel DES, a networked cluster of PCs use a set of physical execution units (Bononi,
L. and D’Angelo, G., 2003).
1.1.1.3 Event Scheduling
1.1.1.3.1 The Importance of Event Scheduling
Events, being the main entities of a DES system, express the physical activities of
a real-world wireless network. With respect to the aforementioned network facili-
ties, each service could be considered an incidence for a particular mobile user
(MU). During simulation time, an incidence generator creates events as, for instance,
new call arrivals in the system. Such an event is marked with a time stamp (within
simulation time) that specifies the starting execution point in time. A critical entity
within the simulation system, namely, the scheduler, is executing by selecting the
next earliest event, based on its associated time stamp, running it until ending it up,
and returning to execute the next event expressed by the next least time stamp. The
scheduling system is a standard tool within the actual wireless network for the event
service incidence sequence control. When an operation is not executed, the pending
operation set (PES) (Goh, R.S.M. and Thng, I., L-J, 2003; Tan, K.L., and Thng, L.-J.,
2000; Siangsukone, T., et al. 2003) is the set of all non-simulated and processed
tasks generated during simulation time. Consequently, PES corresponds to a priority
queue controlling the stream of events simulation based on the contemporary mini-
mum time stamp, that is the task of highest priority (Goh, R.S.M. and Thng, I., L-J,
2003). The selected scheduling method imposes how the actual network activities
that occurred can be reflected in the simulation model in a realistic way. Therefore,
scheduling could be viewed as a generalized mapping method within the simulation
time of the DES algorithm for the real network events-activities execution.
from the common desktop calendar of one-page entry every day. Each incident is
scheduled on the relevant calendar page. Each event’s schedule timing defines its
priority. If an event on the calendar is enqueued, then this event is scheduled for
future running. The earliest event within the calendar is dequeued by searching it
within the relevant page of the current date and removing it from that page (Brown,
R. 1988).
A CQ scheme is considered to consist of an array of lists. Each such list queue
contains future incidences. According to the CQ principle, a large queue of N events
is partitioned to M shorter queues called Buckets. Each bucket is associated with a
specific time range corresponding to future events executions. Any incidence bound
to an occurrence time t(e) is associated with the mth bucket in year y (y = 0, 1, 2, …)
if and only if
(
ë )
t (e) Î é ( yM + m ) d , ( yM + m + 1) d ù
û
(1.1)
In order to find the associated relevant bucket number m(e) where an incidence e will
occur at time t(e), the following type is involved:
ê t ( e) ú
m (e) = ê ú mod M (1.2)
ë d û
Consider that N = 10, δ = 1, M = 8, and t(e) = 3.52 (Figure 1.1) for a new incidence e.
Using Equation 1.2, the relevant bucket number for the incidence e is m(e) = 3.
An analytical study of the CQ scheme can be found in Erickson et al. (1994).
FIGURE 1.2 Sample of a Sequential DES operation (events/facilities: NC – new call arrival,
RC – call reallocation/handoff, MC – movement of user running a call, FC – terminated call).
The generator of the incidences creates events with corresponding time signs. The
dequeued incidences are running either in rising priority order or in increasing time
stamp order (Figure 1.3). The final processes running is sequential oversimulation
time except for events of nearly identical time stamps.
FIGURE 1.3 Event running following the dequeuing order of the processing unit (events/
facilities: NC – new call arrival, RC – call reallocation/handoff, MC – movement of user run-
ning a call, FC – terminated call).
Many channel allocation schemes were widely invested in literature with a goal
of maximizing reuse of frequency. Channel allocation schemes are classified into
three strategies: fixed channel allocation (FCA) (Zhang, M. and Yum, T.S., 1989;
Lai, W.K. and Coghill, G.C., 1996; MacDonald, V.H., 1979; Elnoubi, S.M., et al
1982; Xu, Z. and Mirchandani, P.B., 1982); dynamic channel allocation (DCA)
(Zhang, M. and Yum, T.S., 1989; Cimini L.J. and Foschini, G.J., 1992; Cox, D.C.
and Reudink, D.O., 1973; Del Re, E, Fantacci, R, and Giambene, G. 1996; Kahwa,
TJ, and Geor-gans, ND. 1978; Papazoglou, PM, and Karras, DA. 2016; Papazoglou,
PM, Karras, DA, and Papademetriou, RC. 2008a; Papazoglou, PM, Kar-ras, DA,
and Papademetriou, RC. 2008b; Papazoglou, PM, Karras, DA, and Papademetriou,
RC. 2009; Papazoglou, PM, Karras, DA, and Papademetriou, RC. 2011; Papazoglou,
PM, Karras, DA, and Papademetriou, RC. 2016; Sivarajan, KN, McEliece, RJ, and
Ketchum, JW. 1990; Subramania Sharma, T, and Thazhuthaveetil, MJ. 2001) and
HCA (Hybrid Channel Allocation).
12 Artificial Intelligence (AI)
FIGURE 1.5 Excerpt of different CQs based on network spatial partitioning (events/facili-
ties: NC – new call arrival, RC – call reallocation/handoff, MC – movement of user running
a call, FC – terminated call).
networks is provided in Iraqi and Boutaba (2000). The call dropping likelihood is
small based on the proposed MAS (Iraqi, Y. and Boutaba, R., 2000), although the
wireless network makes a high average usage of the bandwidth. According to Iraqi
and Boutaba (2000), the final decision to accept a call is based on neighbouring cells
participating. Therefore, every cell or BS has an agent working. A cooperative agree-
ment in a MAS is defined in Jiang and Jiang (2008) to help real-time load balancing
of a mobile cellular network. Within the current MAS, agents are used (a) for market
representation of different service providers and (b) for network operators handling
the radio capital of different network regions. According to Jiang and Jiang (2008),
the coordination of agents is done by messages, and negotiations are focused on the
final agreements. Negotiation is an intelligent control strategy in the above study to
dynamically change the shape and size of the cells and to manage the traffic load
over the network.
To suggest a distributed channel allocation scheme using intelligent software
agents, a detailed simulation model for wireless cellular networks was developed
by Bodanese (2000). In the above analysis, smart collaborative software agents
offer BSs autonomy, enhance network robustness, enable network resource negotia-
tion, and improve resource allocation. To this end, several aspects of infrastructure
and operation of the cellular network have been modelled. According to Bodanese
(2000), the basic features implemented in the model are call set-up, handoffs based
on signal strength and defined threshold, forced call termination emulation (due
to insufficient signal), Mobile Station self-location based on signal strength from
nearest BSs, Mobile Stations with arbitrary trajectories, cell boundaries, number of
Mobile Stations per unit. Four specific aspects of the configuration and function of
the entire network were modelled in Bodanese (2000). Those aspects include (a) the
network model defining the network layout (cell structure, BSs, MSs), (b) the mobile
station (signal calculations, call generation inter-arrival time, call length), (b1) call
server (SNR measurements), (b2) handoff, (b3) call dropping, (b4) call termination,
(b5) filter (sending packets from the radio link to the server), (b6) trajectory track-
ing, which is responsible for Mobile Station movement (random cyclical, driving on
a highway, etc.), (c) BS which includes SNR measurements, handoff (monitoring the
received voice packets), etc., (d) MTSO (Mobile Telephone Switching Office) which
offers services such as HLR (Home Location Register), VLR (Visitor Location
Register), etc., (d1) keeps track of each active MS. All the implemented network
models in Bodanese (2000) do not support multimedia real-time services. A novel
modelling methodology for supporting wireless network services is also described
in the current report, based on MAS technology.
links or dedicated leased lines to the Base Station Controller (BSC). The BSC pro-
vides logic for the management of the base stations’ radio resources under its control.
As a MU moves from cell to cell, it is also responsible for transferring an ongoing
call from one base station to another. A mobile terminal must first obtain a channel
from the BS in order to establish a communication with a BS. A channel consists of
a pair of signal transmission frequencies between the BS and MU.
In order to pick every SL correctly, multiple variables need to be taken into account.
Those characteristics include:
Most approaches to simulation models and applications have allowed us using gen-
eral-purpose languages, general SLs, and packages for special-purpose simulations.
Languages of general use have the following principal characteristics:
16 Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Bottom cost
• Are available
• No supplementary training is required
• Every model starts from the ground up
• Hard to check
• Reusability of code is minimal
• The business process period is a long one
General SLs deliver uniform modelling features, shorter development cycle, and
simple verification. These languages have higher costs, restricted portability, and
require more instruction.
Languages such as Simula (Nierstrasz, O., 1989), GPSS (Karian, Z.A., and
Dudewicz, E.J., 1998), SimScript (Russell, E.C., 1999), Parsec (Subramania, S.,
2001; Zeng, X., et al. 1998; Takai, M., 1999; Reddy, D., et al. 2006; Abar, S., et al.
2017), modsim (West, J. and Mullarney, A., 1998), slam (Miller, J.O., et al. 1988),
GlomoSim (Zeng, X., et al. 1998), and other special purposes of high-flexibility
simulation devices. Other software tools such as MATLAB have plenty of scientific
libraries and capabilities for the creation of portable script code but suffer from low-
performance execution. A large-scale simulation model includes a scalable network
environment with advanced features such as portability, internetworking, and high
network activity adaptability.
The invention and development of new languages for simulation introduces
important drawbacks:
• The new languages are specific to the domain and rarely adapted by the
scientific community.
• The respective libraries require designers to adapt their applications to spe-
cific needs.
• Designers can’t achieve high simulation kernel adaptability in their
applications.
Java language is the most appropriate to develop scalable, portable, and high-perfor-
mance network applications, and is adopted by the majority of the scientific com-
munity. On the other hand, Java supports multiple threads that mean manipulation of
the concurrent tasks. This functionality is very critical for supporting network events
at the same time.
The basic parameter for mesh building is the fineness, which means the distance
between the spots.
1.2.1.1 Operational Parameters
A set of parameters determine the conditions of network operation, such as signal
propagation, signal rates, and MU behaviour. The parameter basics are: CNR (car-
rier-to-noise ratio) on cell edge (dB), CNIR (carrier-to-noise plus interference ratio)
threshold (dB), average call arrival rate (calls/hour, lambda), average call hold time
(seconds), simulation time, cell channels, path loss factor (alpha), standard shadow-
ing deviation (sigma), cell mesh fineness, etc.
the new calls result from a random or a Poisson distribution with regard to a pre-
defined regular pattern.
1 - x2 / 2
f ( x) = e (1.4)
2p
In the MU movement procedure, firstly a Gaussian number is generated, e.g. x1 and
the corresponding f(x1) whenx1 Î éë -0.5, 0.5ùû . If another Gaussian number, e.g. x2,
where x2 ³ f ( x1 ) , a MU move is generated. The new position of any MU is maxi-
mum two cells distance from the initiated cell.
1.2.2.2 Channel Allocation
1.2.2.2.1 Channel Allocation Criteria
Any channel allocation procedure is successful only if the following criteria are met:
• Channel availability
• Carrier strength (between MU and BS)
• CNR (signal purity)
• Signal to noise plus interference ratio CNIR (interference from other con-
nected MUs)
Large-Scale Multi-Agent Systems Simulation 19
(a) Check if the maximum MU capacity in the cell neighbour has been reached.
(b) Calculate a random MU position in the mesh.
(c) Place the new MU according to the cell’s BS position and mesh spot.
(d) Calculate the signal strength between BS and new MU in the call-initiated
cell.
Firstly, the shadow attenuation (Molisch, A., 2012; Lee, W.C.Y., 1995) is derived.
Next
s ×n
sh = 10 10 (1.5)
where σ is the shadowing standard deviation and n is the associated number from the
normal distribution. The distance attenuation dw can be derived from the shadow
attenuation and distance between MU and BS. Through MU and BS, the CNR could
be computed (Molisch, A., 2012; Lee, W.C.Y., 1995):
cnedge
cn = 10 10 × dw (1.6)
(e) Calculate interference among the new MU and other MUs that use the same
channel.
(f) Check if the CNIR ratio is acceptable according to a predefined threshold.
(g) If CNIR is acceptable, establish the new call and update UR, otherwise use
any alternative selected DCA variation.
1.2.2.3 Traffic Generation
When a new call arrival occurs with regard to Poisson distribution, a random number
x is generated from Poisson distribution and the corresponding P(x) is calculated as
follows:
e-l × l x
P( x ) = (1.7)
x!
where λ represents the new call arrival rate. This rate is analogous to the time of the
day. A fixed set of simulation time steps represents a whole day. Each day is divided
into five zones according to traffic conditions. Table 1.1 illustrates the five zones with
corresponding λ parameter. Zone 1 represents the hours 12–9 a.m. (λ = 1) and zone
3 the hours 1–4 p.m. (λ = 5).
20 Artificial Intelligence (AI)
TABLE 1.1
Daily Zones
Zone Percentage
Zone (Approximately) λ Description
1 34% 1 Least busy zone
2 21% 4
3 12% 5 Most busy zone
4 17% 3
5 17% 2
The fundamental layer (layer 1) embodies the structure of the cellular network,
where the basic events (new call, call rearrangement, user movement, call termina-
tion) take place. Layer 2 is made up of four agents that implement the synchronized
events and describe the behaviour of the network. The control agent (main agent) that
exists in the third layer activates the system with corresponding event agents. The set
of four agents is recurring for every individual MU (Figure 1.8).
The main agent includes a clock logic which is responsible for the layer 2 agents’
activation and ensures that the additional procedures are triggered in the correct
order. The agents communicate for the activation status through layers 2 and 3 and
exchange information (messages) etc. Event agents are independent entities that react
with the appropriate environment and are coordinated by the control agent. The cel-
lular network environment includes parameters such as information about the signal
power, user characteristics, network status, etc. Every agent is implemented as a Java
thread and is defined in relation to layered architecture by state, actions, and position.
Agents in layer 2 are concurrently executed according to signals from the control
node. The simulation time changes only when the layer 2 agents have completed the
concurrent acts. Layer 1 uses shared data objects that are protected from the event
agents in order to simultaneously access (read or write). Each event agent keeps the
22 Artificial Intelligence (AI)
control agent informed about the status of its execution. The control agent is active,
while the time for simulation is not over and so the rest of the agents. This agent has
a sequential step-value clock (e.g. 1,2,3, etc.). A corresponding action is turned on
in each value. All the acts (agents and supplementary procedures) are carried out as
threads. The requisite supplementary activities (preparation tasks) are triggered in
the first phase of the clock, while the other agents and procedures are disabled. In
the second step of the clock, event agents are turned on while other procedures are
disabled. Control agent prevents simultaneous activation within simulation time of
the event agents, initial and final simulation procedures.
Moreover, let’s assume that the probable discrete states of the wireless network set-
ting up can be defined by the set E as
where the memberships of E signify the network performance, L signifies low level,
and H the high level. The pairs are linked to blocking and dropping probability,
respectively.
On the other hand, it is adopted that each agent has a set of possible interactions
with this set-up. These interactions change the environmental status and are deter-
mined by the set
Ac = {a k 0 , a k1,¼} (1.10)
In the case of network set-up, the matching actions are determined by the set
where INP is the action “Increase Priority,” DeP represents the action “Decrease
Priority,” and, finally, DN is the action “Do Nothing.”
The external network set-up changes its state with regard to the above-mentioned
activities. A sequence of actions results in a sequence of environmental state changes.
Thus, a run r of an agent within the environment can be defined as
a0 a1 a2 a3 a u-1
r : e0 ® e1 ® e2 ® e3 ® ® eu (1.12)
24 Artificial Intelligence (AI)
A state transformer function has been made known by Fagin et al. (1995) in order to
depict the effect of an agent activity on the network set-up:
t : R Ac ® g ( E ) (1.14)
t (r ) = Æ (1.15)
Env = E, e0 ,t (1.16)
where Ε is the state set, eo is the initial state, and τ is the transformer function. For
modelling agents, it is adopted that an agent characterizes a function for mapping
runs to activities and thus:
Ag : R E ® Ac (1.17)
In other words, an agent decides about actions (to select an appropriate action to
perform) based on the past events of the system. For expressing the entire system
(agents, environment), a suitable set is developed:
Finally, the sequence (e 0 ,a 0 , e1,a1, e 2 ,… )expresses a run of an agent Ag (in the net-
work set-up) Env = E, e0 ,t , if:
a 0 = Ag ( e0 ) (1.19)
eu Î t ( e0 , a 0 ,..., a u -1 ) (1.20)
a u = Ag ( e0 , a 0 ,..., eu ) (1.21)
with
e1 = { x , y } , e2 = { x , y} , e3 = { x, y } , e4 = { x, y} (1.25)
Network behaviour is evaluated through two basic statistical metrics which are the
blocking and dropping likelihoods. Thus, (1.24) and (1.25) will be expressed in terms
of the above metrics as follows:
with
ì p1 if e = e1 or e = e2 ü
see(e) = í ý (1.28)
î p2 if e = e3 or e = e4 þ
According to (1.26) and (1.27), the “perceive function” of the NCA will have two
observations in its range P1 and P2 that indicate if the blocking possibility is accept-
able or not. The behaviour of the “perceive” function can be outlined as follows:
ì P1 if e = e1 or e = e2 bad ü
see(e) = í ý (1.29)
î P2 if e = e3 or e = e4 good þ
ì P1 if e = e1 or e = e3 bad ü
see(e) = í ý (1.30)
î P2 if e = e2 or e = e4 good þ
Large-Scale Multi-Agent Systems Simulation 27
With two given environmental states e Î E and e¢ Î E , then e~e’ can be written only
if see(e) = see(e’). An agent has perfect perception if the different environment states
are equal to distinct observations. In such case
~= E (1.31)
In contrast with (1.15), when the perception of an agent does not exist,
~ =1 (1.32)
function assigns a real number to each outcome, indicating how good the outcome
is for the selected agent. In other words, this utility function defines the preference
ordering over all the outcomes.
Let ω and ω’ be two possible outcomes in Ω set (where Ω = {ω1,ω2,…}), with
utility functions that give
ui (w ) ³ ui (w¢ ) (1.33)
1.2.4.6 Multi-Agent Encounters
In a large-scale environment with more than one agent, except the environment
itself, the agent encounters also have to be modelled. Assume that there are two pos-
sible actions by two agents such as “C”, which means “Cooperate”, and “D”, which
means “Defect” and let the action set Ac = {C,D}. Based on the above, the environ-
ment behaviour can be modelled with the function
t : Aci ´ Ac j ® W (1.34)
where Aci and Acj represent the two agents i and j, respectively.
As an example, let the environment function
t ( D, D ) = w1, t ( D, C ) = w2 , t ( C , D ) = w3 , t ( C , C ) = w4 (1.35)
The two possible actions for NCA and RCA are the Cooperation (CR) and Competition
(CT) and so the action set becomes Ac = {CP, CT}. Now the expression (1.35) is as follows:
ui ( D, D) = 1 ui ( D, C ) = 1 ui (C , D) = 4 ui (C , C ) = 4
(1.39)
u j ( D, D ) = 1 u j ( D, C ) = 4 u j (C , D) = 1 u j (C , C ) = 4
Large-Scale Multi-Agent Systems Simulation 29
Combining now (1.36) and (1.38) for NCA and RCA, the outcomes can be expressed
as follows:
uNC (CT , CT ) = 1 uNC (CT , CR) = 1 uNC (CR, CT ) = 4 uNC (CR, CR) = 4
(1.40)
uRC ( CT , CT ) = 1 uRC (CT , CR) = 4 uRC (CR, CT ) = 1 uRC (CR, CR) = 4
The only possible agent actions for the given outcomes can be rewritten (see (1.39)):
C , C ³i C , D >i D, C ³i D, D (1.41)
In the same way, the possible NCA, RCA actions based on (1.20a) are
It is obvious from (1.39), (1.40), and (1.41) which action will be selected from each
agent, and thus each agent knows exactly what to do.
analysis in Liu and Layland (1973) and deadline monotonic analysis in Audsley et
al. (1992). These two improvements were incorporated into the scheduling theory
of fixed priorities (Audsley, et al. 1995). Some very important characteristics of the
RTSs found in Buttazzo (2011) are (a) repetitive contact with the environment, (b)
multiple actions concurrently transitioning rapidly to events and requiring a high
degree of competition, (c) competition for shared resources, (d) actions caused exter-
nally by events (within the system) or after time development, (e) must be stable in
overload, and (f) must be maintainable and of scalable open architecture.
"She wouldn't be. There's no strength like the strength of a woman who
gets her only chance. She knows, poor dear, 'tis Palk or nothing."
"I told 'em to get out of my sight for a pair of cold-blooded, foxy devils
—yes, in my anger I said that—and so they have; and soon, no doubt,
they'll be gone for good and all. And that's the middle and both ends of it;
and the worst and wickedest day's work ever I heard tell about."
"You've dropped below your usual high standards, if I may say so,"
answered Melinda. "Little blame to you that you should feel vexed, I'm
sure; but 'tis more the shock than the reality I believe. I feel the shock
likewise, though outside the parties and only a friend to all. 'Tis so unlike
anything as you might have expected, that it throws you off your balance.
Yet, when you come to turn it over, Joe, you can't help seeing there's rhyme
and reason in it."
"You say that! For a woman to fly from the safety and security of her
father's home—and such a father—to a man who don't even know what
work he's going to do when he leaves me. And a wretch that's proved as
deep as the sea. Can't you read his game? He knows that Susan be my only
one, and bound to have all some day—or he thinks he knows it. That's at the
bottom of this. He looks on and says to himself, 'All will be hers; then all
will be mine.'"
"Don't you say that. Keep a fair balance. Remember you held a very
high opinion of Palk not two months agone, when he showed by his acts to
his dead sister's child that he was a high-minded man."
"I'll thank you to keep my side of this, please," he answered. "I don't
much like the line you're taking, Melinda. Just ax yourself this: would any
man, young or old, look at Susan as a possible help-mate and think to marry
her, if he warn't counting on the jam that would go with the powder? She's
my child, and I'm not one to bemoan my fortune as to that, but a woman's a
woman, and was the male ever born who could look at Susan as a woman?
You know very well there never was."
"You couldn't; but men ain't all so nice as you about looks. And you
can't deny that apart from being a bit homely, Susan——"
"Stop!" he said. "I believe you knew about this all the time and be here
as a messenger of peace! And if I thought that——"
"Don't think nothing of the sort, there's a good man. I'd so soon have
expected the sun to go backward as hear any such thing. But 'tis done on
your own showing, and you must be so wise as usual about it and not let the
natural astonishment upset your character. It's got to be, seemingly. So start
from there and see how life looks."
Melinda indeed was also thinking how life looked. Her mind ran on and
she had already reached a point to which Mr. Stockman's bruised spirit was
yet to bring him. She prepared to go away.
"I won't stop no more now. You'll have a lot to think over in your mind
about the future. Thank goodness you be well again—and never looked
better I'm sure. What's their plans?"
"You'll come to your plans gradual. And don't think 'tis the end of the
world. You never know. When things turn inside out like this, we be often
surprised to find there's a lot to be said for changes after all."
Then Mrs. Honeysett departed and felt Joe's moody eyes upon her back
as she went slowly and thoughtfully away. Soosie-Toosie's eyes were also
upon her; but that she did not know.
CHAPTER XXX
THE NEST
Joe Stockman, like a stricken animal, hid himself from his fellow men
at this season; yet it was not curious that he should conceal his tribulation
from fellow men, because he knew that sympathy must be denied. To run
about among the people, grumbling because his daughter had found a
husband, was a course that Joe's humour told him would win no
commiseration. He was much more likely to be congratulated on an
unexpected piece of good luck. Even Melinda, with every kindly feeling for
him, proved not able to show regret; and if she could not, none might be
looked for elsewhere. But he made it evident to those chiefly involved that
he little liked the match; he declined to see any redeeming features and
went so far as to say that the countryside would be shocked with Susan for
leaving her father under such circumstances. To his surprise he could not
shake her as at first he had hoped to do. She was meek, and solicitous for
his every wish as usual; she failed not to anticipate each desire of his mind;
she knew, by long practice, how to read his eyes without a word; but upon
this one supreme matter she showed amazing determination.
She did not speak of it; neither did Thomas, and when his master, who
had failed for the moment to get a new horseman worthy of Falcon Farm,
invited Palk to stop another month, he agreed to do so. But Thomas
grumbled to Maynard when they were alone, and at the same time heard
something from Lawrence that interested him.
They were hoeing the turnips together and the elder spoke.
"Let him be wild with himself then, and cuss himself—not us. Look at it
—I meet his convenience and go on so mild as Moses, working harder than
ever, and all I get be sighs and head-shakings; and you always see his lips
saying 'sarpent' to himself every time you catch his eye. It's properly
ondacent, because there's duties staring the man in the face and he's trying
his damnedest to wriggle out of 'em!"
"What duties?"
"I dare say it will work out like that. You must allow for the shock,
Tom. He'd got to rely on you and your future wife like his right and left
hand; and to have the pair of you snatched away together—— He's a man
with a power of looking forward and, of course, he can see, in a way you
can't, what he'll feel like when you both vanish off the scene."
"No, no—not in this matter, anyway. I know very well what you feel
like, and nobody wishes you joy better than me. You've got a grand wife,
and I've always thought a lot of you myself as you know. But 'tis just the
great good fortune that's fallen to you makes it so much the worse for him.
He knows what he's losing, and you can't expect him to be pleased. He'll
calm down in a week or two."
"Let the man do the same then and take another. There's a very fine
woman waiting for him."
"There is; and he'll take her no doubt; but there again, he knows that
you can't have anything for nothing."
"Yes, and got used to it; but he won't have Melinda Honeysett for
nothing. A daughter like Susan gives all and expects no return; a wife like
Mrs. Honeysett will want a run for her money. And Joe knows mighty well
it will have to be give and take in future."
"If it's all the same to you, I'd be glad if you didn't break this to
Stockman till our job's a thought forwarder," said Thomas. "He can only
stand a certain amount. You was more to him than me really. This will very
like turn him against human nature in general, and if he gets desperate, he
may disgrace himself."
"No, no—he wouldn't lower himself like that. And as for Mrs.
Honeysett, I reckon he's to work in that quarter. He can't strike all of a
sudden, of course, because the people would say he'd only done it for his
own convenience; but he'll be about her before long I expect. He's been
saying in a good few places that he must marry now."
They hoed together shoulder to shoulder, then reached the end of their
rows and turned again.
"So it would be; but he'll come round and do right, only give him time,"
answered Lawrence.
"No. I much want to get abroad. It's always been a wish with me to see a
foreign country."
"A very fine idea. I'd so soon do the same as not; but I heard a chap say
that you find the land pretty near all under machinery if you go foreign.
And I shouldn't care to quit hosses at my time of life."
"There's your wife to think on. She'd never like to put the sea between
her and her father."
These things were heard by another pair of ears in the evening of that
day, for then Maynard saw Dinah again. But much passed between the
lovers before they reached the subject of Susan and Thomas. Maynard had
been deeply interested to hear of Dinah's sudden departure, of which she
had told him nothing, and he had puzzled ever since learning the fact
mentioned by Melinda Honeysett. For he did not guess her purpose, or her
destination, and the fact that she had gone away only served to explain her
need for money. She let him know, however, before they met, and that
without any word; for during her absence, there came a picture postcard to
Lawrence—a coloured picture of Barnstaple parish church; and that told
him everything.
He trusted her, but knew her forthright ways and felt very anxious to see
her again. The date and place for their next meeting had been fixed between
them at their last conversation, and as he had heard that Dinah was returned,
he knew that she would keep the appointment. He brooded for hours upon
her action and inclined to a shadow of regret that she should have taken it,
yet the fact did not astonish him, looking back at their last meeting; for had
Dinah asked permission to go, he would not have suffered it in his mood at
the time. That she knew; and yet she had gone. He recognised the immense
significance of her action and the time seemed interminable until the dusk
of that day, when he was free. The night came mild and grey with a soft
mist. Their meeting place was a gate in a lane one mile from Green Hayes
among the woods ascending to Buckland. There it had been planned they
should join each other for the last time before one, or both, disappeared
from the Vale.
She was waiting for him and came into his arms with joy. She guessed
that her postcard had revealed her adventure and began by begging for
forgiveness. This he granted, but bade her talk first.
"It's made me long to go out in the world," she said. "Just this taste. I've
never seemed to understand there was anything beyond Ashburton and
Lower Town; but now I've gone afield and seen miles and miles of England,
and I've met people that never heard of the Vale. Say you ban't cross again,
my dear heart. You know very well why I went. It rose up on me like a
flame of fire—to make sure. I told 'em at Green Hayes I had some business
up the country and they think I went to be married—Jane's idea that was.
She's positive sure I'm married, though I've told her in plain words I'm not.
Of course they be curious, but I couldn't tell a lie about it. So I said
'business.'"
"Never mind them. I won't swear I'd have said 'no' if you'd asked me,
Dinah—not if I'd thought twice. It was a natural, needful point, and you
grasped it quicker than I did, and no doubt made up your mind while I was
maundering on about the law. I saw all that after I got your card. But I
couldn't have gone myself."
"It was my work and I've done it; and I wish more had come of it. But
nothing has. I took a room in a little inn near the station and tramped about
and found her shop in the best part of the town. A big place with fine
windows—a dairy and creamery and refreshment room. Just 'Courtier' over
the windows, in big, gold letters, and a few maidens inside and—tea. I
marked her, of course, the minute I saw her. She's in the shop herself—
rather grand, but not above lending a hand when they're busy. She's up in
the world. They knew about her at the inn where I stopped, and told me the
story. They said her husband went mad on the honeymoon and disappeared
off the earth. I went to the shop three times and had my tea there, and the
second time there was a man at the counter talking to her. But he didn't look
much of it. So there it is. She's going on with her life just as you thought,
and making money; and what the people see, I saw, and what they don't see,
or know, is no matter. But she was quite pleased with herself—a cheerful
woman to the eye. You can tell that much.
"She's worn well I should think. She's a pretty woman; but she's hard
and her voice is hard. She wouldn't have no mercy on people under her. She
drove her maidens in the shop and was down on 'em if they talked much to
customers. At my inn she was spoke very well of and thought a bit of a
wonder. You was forgot. They said it was thought you killed yourself. And
now that the seven years are up, some fancied she might marry again, but
others didn't think she ever would, being too independent. A man or two
they mentioned; but the opinion I heard most was that she never wanted to
change. I couldn't ax too much about her, of course."
"I wish it had been different," she went on. "I hoped all sorts of things—
that I'd find her married again, or gone, or, perhaps dead. But there she is,
so large as life, and I shouldn't think she'd ever marry for love, but she
might for money, or for getting a bit more power. I didn't feel to hate her in
the least, or anything like that. I felt sorry for her in a way, knowing what
she'd missed, and I thought, if it had been different, what a big man you
might be by now. But you'll be bigger some day along with me. And so we
know where we are, Lawrence."
She had been away nine days and returned to find Jane fallen out with
Jerry Withycombe. Mr. Bamsey had recognised her on her return and called
her by name and made her sit beside him for a long time. But the next
morning he had forgotten her again. Faith Bamsey had also thought Dinah
must have disappeared to be married, but believed her when she vowed it
was not so. John Bamsey was away for the time, doing bailiff's work up the
river above Dartmeet.
Then he told her of his determination and greatly rejoiced her, save in
one particular.
"We don't go together," he said, "and the details will very soon clear
themselves; but there must be no shadow on your memory, here or
anywhere, when you're gone. I give Joe notice presently and go to
Australia, to get the home ready. You find work and, for a bit, keep that
work. Then you leave it for London, or a big town, where ships sail from,
and your passage is took and you come along. That leaves them guessing
here, and none can ever say a word against you. But so sure as we go
together, then Stockman tells everybody that I'm a married man, and the
harm's done."
"You do puzzle me!" she answered. "You can't get this bee out of your
bonnet, Lawrence—such a clever chap as you, too. What in fortune's name
does it matter what Cousin Joe says about you, or what the people believe
about me? I know you're not married, and when I wed you I shall be your
one and lawful wife. Who else is there—now foster-father be gone? That
was the only creature on earth I could hurt, and he's past hurting, poor old
dear. I like your plan all through but there. I'm going when you go, and half
the joy of my life would be lost if I didn't sail along with you in the ship.
That I do bargain for. Oh, I wish it was to-morrow we were running away!"
"I love it—yes, I do, now. I wish to God I wasn't going to lose sight of
you again. But it won't be for long."
They spoke of the details and he pointed out that her plan must increase
the difficulties somewhat, yet she would take no denial.
"What's all this fuss for? False pride," she said. "You've got to think for
me the way I want you to think, not the way you want to think. If we know
we're right, why should we fret if all the rest of the world thought different?
I'm hungry and thirsty to go and be in a new world with you. I want you and
I want a new world. And you will be my new world for that matter."
He laughed.
"I can't keep you here in the rain all night. The next thing is our post
office—from now on."
"Think them over again then; and I'll help. And I've found the post
office. List!"
They kept silence for half a minute, but Dinah had only heard a night-
bird.
"'Tis here!" she said, "twenty yards down the lane. I found it in the
spring—a wrennys' nest hid under the ivy on the bank. No better place. 'Tis
empty now and snug as need be."
He accompanied her to the spot, lit matches and examined the proposed
post office. It was safe enough, for the snug, domed nest lay completely
hidden under a shower of ivy, and Dinah had only discovered it by seeing
the little birds pop in when they were building.
Lawrence doubted; it seemed a frail receptacle for vital news; but it was
dry and as safe as possible.
"I'd thought to put a tobacco tin under a stone somewhere," he said, "but
perhaps this couldn't be beat."
He took careful note of it and marked the exact spot as well as he could
in the dark. A sapling grew in the hedge opposite and he took his knife and
blazed the bark behind, where only he, or Dinah, would find the cut.
"There'll be a letter for you in a few days," she said, "for I know I've
forgot a thousand things; and when your new plans be finished, you'll write
'em for me."
"We must go slow and steady," he answered. "I've got to give Joe
warning presently, and I don't mean to be out of work longer than I can
help. When we know what we're going to do to the day, then I'll speak; and
he won't like it none too well. He's terrible under the weather about Susan."
He told her the Falcon Farm news, with details which she had not heard.
"I'm sorry for Cousin Joe, but mighty glad for Susan, and I'm coming up
one day to supper to congratulate her—why not?"
"It will be something just to look at you across the table," he said, "but
we'd best speak little to each other."
Dinah grew listless as the moment for leave-taking came. Her mood
was shadowed.
"I know it's right and wise to keep apart now," she told him. "And I
know we can never have none of the old faces round us when we're
married, and none of the little pleasures that go with old friends. But I am
sorry. It's small, but I am sorry."
"So am I, for your sake," he answered. "And it's not small. It's natural.
This is the only home you know, and the only folks you know are in it. And
most are kindly and good. It only looks small against the bigger thing of
being together for evermore. The time won't be long. 'Twill slip away
quicker than you'll like I guess. And there's plenty of new friends waiting
for us down under."
"It's cruel of life," she cried. "It's hard and cruel of life to make love like
ours so difficult. Open air, daylight creatures, like us, to be called to plot
and scheme and hide against the frozen silliness of the world. Just the
things I hate most. And now we must trust the house a little bird have made
with things that we'd both be proud to shout from the church steeple!"
"I know every bit what you're feeling. I feel it too—I hate it more than
you do—knowing what you are. It will soon be over."
"I'll come up and look at you anyhow," said Dinah. "That won't shock
the people; and I dare say, now that Susan knows what it is to love a man—
but don't you fear. I won't kiss you even with my eyes, Lawrence."
"Susan wouldn't see nothing for that matter," he said. "Love be a dour
pastime for her and Palk as things are. They be like us in a way—frightened
to look at each other under that roof."
"But firm," she said. "Cousin Joe ain't going to choke Susan off it?"
"When we'm married, I'll always be wanting to kiss you afore the
people," she said, "just for the joy of doing it openly."
Then they parted, to meet no more in secret until they should never part
again.
CHAPTER XXXI
JOE'S SUNDAY
Melinda stood at her door and spoke to her neighbour, Mr. Harry Ford,
the gardener. He was a red-whiskered man of fifty, and he and Mrs.
Honeysett viewed life somewhat similarly.
"You bad creature," she said, "working in your garden o' Sunday!"
This was the sort of remark on which Harry never wasted speech. He
went on with his digging.
"I wish the second early potatoes were coming up so well at the Court
as they are here in my little patch," he remarked. "But they haven't got the
nice bit o' sand in the soil as we have."
He rested a moment.
"No, I'm sorry to say; and yet not sorry neither. She's keeping all this up
because he vexed her Easter Monday. They was at Ashburton revel together
and she says he took a drop too much and very near ran the trap over Holne
Bridge and broke her neck coming home. And he says no such thing. But
the real trouble is about the blessed shop Jane wants to start at Ashburton
after marriage. She's for a tobacco shop, and Jerry wants for it to be green-
grocer's, where he can do his part. My own belief is that Jane Bamsey's
getting tired of Jerry. If the wedding had gone through when it was
ordained, all might have been well; but owing to Ben Bamsey's illness and
sad downfall after, 'twas put off. I never much liked her I may tell you, no
more didn't my father."
"He must have been a bit of a wonder—a very clever man they say."
"Ideas do grow."
"If they stick, then they grow. Now I'll ax you a question, and you've no
call to answer it if you don't want. You might say 'twas a hole in my
manners to ax, perhaps."
"I'm sure you wouldn't make a hole in your manners, Mr. Ford."
"I hope not. 'Tis this, then. What might the late Mr. Withycombe have
thought of Farmer Stockman up the hill?"
"Well, you never can say exactly what one man thinks of another,
because time and chance changes the opinion. A man will vex you to-day
and please you next week. Sometimes what he does and says is contrary to
your opinions, and then again, he may do or say something that brings him
back to you."
"He liked him and didn't like him—off and on? But he'd made up his
mind in a general way about his character?"
"Fancy!"
"Yes. I sounded a man here and there. I went to Chaffe, the carpenter."
"Arthur Chaffe knew father very well and respected him, though he
didn't hold with his opinions about religion."
"That's right then. Well, Chaffe, knowing me for a pretty quiet man and
a hater of gossip, told me the late fox-hunter saw very clear you'd go to Joe
Stockman after he was took——"
"Well, I don't know how he could. But he did. And though too tender to
whisper it in your ear, he told Chaffe that he was sorry!"
"No business of mine, you'll say. And yet I felt somehow that if your
father—such a man as him—felt sorry, there was a reason why for he
should. And I won't deny but I told Chaffe he ought to mention it to you. He
wouldn't, because he said the thing was too far gone."
"You know best. But people have ears and Stockman's got a tongue."
He purposely misunderstood.
"You knew your good father didn't care for Mr. Stockman at bottom?"
"The only thing that matters to know is your own mind, not what's in
other people's, or in his."
"Well, if you're in doubt, nobody else is," said Mr. Ford striking boldly.
"Farmer's sounding his victory far and near—not a very witty thing to do
when an old man's after a young woman."
"He's cut the ground from under his own feet as to his age," she
answered, "for if you cry out you're old before your time, of course people
must believe you."
Mr. Ford could not answer for Stockman was within earshot.
"There's all sorts o' work, master," replied the gardener. "I dare say now
that the better the day the better the deed holds of your job so well as mine."
"I was not. I meant coming down the hill again this afternoon, to drink a
dish of tea with you, if you please; and though twice up and down the hill
be naught to me, yet I shirked it."
"Good. He'll fetch her round; though I doubt she's worth it."
"So do I."
"However, I'm not here, as you'll guess, about your brother. The time
has come, Melinda."
"No such thing; but they'll be naming it themselves pretty soon. They'll
be away in a month or two I expect. And I want for the house to be swept
and garnished then. I want a lot done. I've suffered a great deal of
undeserved trouble in that quarter, and there's wicked words being said
about my treatment of my child. The people have short memories."
"There's wicked words being said about a lot of things. It's been said,
for instance, up and down the Vale, that you've told a score you be going to
marry me, Joe. That's a proper wicked thing, I should think."
"Good God! What a nest of echoes we live in! But there it is. When a
thing's in the air—whether 'tis fern seed, or a bit of scandal, or a solemn
truth, it will settle and stick and grow till the result appears. No doubt the
general sense of the folk, knowing how I've felt to you for years, made up
this story and reckoned it was one of they things that Providence let out
before the event. Marriages be made in Heaven they say, Melinda."
"But they ain't blazed abroad on earth, I believe, afore both parties
choose to mention it."
"Most certainly not; but if you move in the public eye, people will be
talking."
"Yes, they will, if they be started talking. I met Ann Slocombe to Lower
Town three days agone and she congratulated me on my engagement to
you."
"She's a woman very much like other women. And I told her it was stuff
and nonsense, and far ways from anything that had happened, or was going
to happen."
"No need to have said that, I hope. 'Tis the curious case of——"
"'Tis the curious case of talking before you know," said Melinda tartly.
"What would you have thought if I'd told people you'd gone down to
Brixham, to offer yourself to a woman there?"
"This is very ill-convenient, Melinda, and quite out of tune with me and
the day, and what's in my mind. If I've spoke of you with great affection to
one or two tried friends—friends now no more—then I can only ax you to
overlook their freedom of speech. I've been in a very awkward position for
a long time, and made of justice as you are, you must see it. For look how
things fell out. First, just as I was coming to the great deed and going to ax
you to be mistress of Falcon Farm, there happened your dear father's
grievous illness and his death. Well, I couldn't jump at you with my heart in
my hand, while you was crying your eyes out and feeling your fearful loss.
And then, just as the clouds were lifting and the way clear, what happened?
My misguided girl takes this false step. And that cut two ways. First there
was the disaster itself, and then, in a flash, I saw that if I came to you on top