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Chapter 3. Home

           

           Thelatteraskedhim,whentheywerealonetogetheramongtheheavyshadowsofthedining-room,wouldhehavesomesupper?

           ‘No,Affery,nosupper.’

           ‘Youshallifyoulike,’saidAffery.‘There’shertomorrow’spartridgeinthelarder—herfirstthisyear;saythewordandI’llcookit.’

           No,hehadnotlongdined,andcouldeatnothing.

           ‘Havesomethingtodrink,then,’saidAffery;‘youshallhavesomeofherbottleofport,ifyoulike.I’lltellJeremiahthatyouorderedmetobringityou.’

           No;norwouldhehavethat,either.

           ‘It’snoreason,Arthur,’saidtheoldwoman,bendingoverhimtowhisper,‘thatbecauseIamafearedofmylifeof‘em,youshouldbe.You’vegothalftheproperty,haven’tyou?’

           ‘Yes,yes.’

           ‘Wellthen,don’tyoubecowed.You’reclever,Arthur,an’tyou?’

           Henodded,assheseemedtoexpectananswerintheaffirmative.

           ‘Thenstandupagainstthem!She’sawfulclever,andnonebutacleveronedurstsayawordtoher.He’sacleverone—oh,he’sacleverone!—andhegivesitherwhenhehasamindto’t,hedoes!’

           ‘Yourhusbanddoes?’

           ‘Does?Itmakesmeshakefromheadtofoot,tohearhimgiveither.Myhusband,JeremiahFlintwinch,canconquerevenyourmother.Whatcanhebebutacleveronetodothat!’

           Hisshufflingfootstepcomingtowardsthemcausedhertoretreattotheotherendoftheroom.Thoughatall,hard-favoured,sinewyoldwoman,whoinheryouthmighthaveenlistedintheFootGuardswithoutmuchfearofdiscovery,shecollapsedbeforethelittlekeen-eyedcrab-likeoldman.

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