United States or Christmas Island ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Mrs Hurtle saw the poor man and told the story in Mrs Pipkin's presence. 'She's headstrong, Mr Crumb, said Mrs Hurtle. 'She is that, ma'am. And it was along wi' the baronite she went? 'It was so, Mr Crumb. 'Baro-nite! Well; perhaps I shall catch him some of these days; went to dinner wi' him, did she? Didn't she have no dinner here? Then Mrs Pipkin spoke up with a keen sense of offence.
Huggery-Muggery is pi'son to me, squoire. 'We all know that when you've made up your mind, you have made up your mind. 'I hove. It's made up ever so as to Ruby. What sort of a one is her aunt now, squoire? 'She keeps lodgings; a very decent sort of a woman I should say. 'She won't let the Baro-nite come there?
D'ye think, ma'am, it's the dancing she's after, or the baro-nite? This was another appeal to Mrs Hurtle. 'I suppose they go together, said the lady. Then there was another long pause, at the end of which poor John Crumb burst out with some violence. 'Domn him! Domn him! What 'ad I ever dun to him? Nothing! Did I ever interfere wi' him? Never! But I wull. I wull.
'I am sure you have everything comfortable for her, and she knows it herself. Let her think about all that, and do you go and tell her again in a month's time. She'll be more willing to settle matters then than she is now. 'But the Baro-nite! 'Mrs Pipkin will allow nothing of that. 'Girls is so 'cute. Ruby is awful 'cute.
D'ye think she's see'd the Baro-nite since she's been in Lon'on, Muster Carbury? 'I think she's a good girl, if you mean that. 'I'm sure she be. I don't want none to tell me that, squoire. Tho', squoire, it's better to me nor a ten pun' note to hear you say so. I allays had a leaning to you, squoire; but I'll more nor lean to you, now.
It's no more use my going down about meal and pollard, nor business, and she up here with that baro-nite, no, no more nor nothin'! When I handles it I don't know whether its middlings nor nothin' else. If I was to twist his neck, ma'am, would you take it on yourself to say as I was wrong? 'I'd sooner hear that you had taken the girl away from him, said Mrs Hurtle.
But as for the Baro-nite; the Baro-nite had better look to himself! Old Ruggles had declared that Ruby should never have a shilling of his money;-hereupon Crumb had anathematised old Ruggles and his money too, telling him that he was an old hunx, and that he had driven the girl away by his cruelty.
I allays guy' it her that she'd do the thing as was right. But how about she and the Baro-nite? Roger did not wish to speak of the Baronet just at present. 'I suppose the old man down here did ill-use her? 'Oh, dreadful; there ain't no manner of doubt o' that. Dragged her about awful; as he ought to be took up, only for the rumpus like.
But, squoire did ye hear if the Baro-nite had been a' hanging about that place? 'About Islington, you mean. 'He goes a hanging about; he do. He don't come out straight forrard, and tell a girl as he loves her afore all the parish. There ain't one in Bungay, nor yet in Mettingham, nor yet in all the Ilketsals and all the Elmhams, as don't know as I'm set on Ruby Ruggles.
Word Of The Day