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He was oblivious of the fact that they were Reddin's bees. Reddin presented them. 'There, he said gruffly; 'now you can be civil again. 'But these be hive-bees! said Hazel, 'and they was comforble to begin with! I dunna want that sort. I wanted miserable uns! 'Hang it! how could I know? asked Reddin irritably. 'No. I suppose you couldna, said Hazel; 'you'm terrible stupid, Jack Reddin!
'Who's Vessons? 'My servant. 'Be you a gentleman, then? Reddin hesitated slightly. She said it with such reverence and made it seem so great a thing. 'Yes, he said at last. 'Yes, that's what I am a gentleman. He was conscious of bravado. 'Will there be supper, fire-hot? 'Yes, if Vessons is in a good temper. 'Where you bin? she asked next. 'Market.
Reddin was so enraged that he struck her, and her expression of submission as she cowered under the blow was worse to Edward than the blow itself. He forgot his views about violence, and struck Reddin back. 'Come outside, said Reddin in a tone of relief. The situation had now taken a comprehensible turn for him. 'If it's fighting you're after, I'm with you; that's settling it like gentlemen.
He touched his forelock a thing only done on pay-days and withdrew, murmuring, 'Notice is took back. They saw him go past the window with the steps and the shears, evidently to attend to the swan. Reddin thought how easy it was to manage these underlings a little authority, a little tact. He turned to Hazel, crying in the high armchair of black oak with its faded rose-coloured cushions.
'Your arm, she said in a low tremulous voice, when he had put the rug round her 'your arm pulling me in be like the Sunday-school tale of Jesus Christ and Peter on the wild sea me being Peter. Reddin looked at her sideways to see if she was in earnest. Seeing that she was, he changed the subject. 'Far to go? he asked. 'Ah! miles on miles. 'Like to stop the night over?
Hazel had been sweet in the conquering; so many women were not. And she was a little, wild, frail thing. He was sorry for her. He reflected that if he sold the cob he could pay a first-rate doctor to attend her and two nurses. 'I'll sell the cob, he decided. 'I can easily walk more. It'll do me good. 'Good morning, Mr. Reddin! cried Miss Clomber as sweetly as she could.
'Catch a holt on him! she cried to Vessons; 'he's a murderer! Reddin stood by, confused and mystified at Hazel's unlooked-for behaviour. Vessons bent over Edward. He struck a match and held it to the end of his nose, chuckling as Edward winced. 'I'll tell you summat as is mortal tough! he remarked. 'A minister of the Lord! Will the gen'leman stay supper? he inquired of Reddin.
A light appeared in the parlour. She came close up and looked in. Reddin was in the easy chair, reading the paper, a pipe in the corner of his mouth. No one else was there. 'Jack Reddin! she said. 'Hullo! He turned. 'So you've come? I thought you'd have come long ago. That was all he said. But she assured herself that he was glad she had come, because he shouted to Vessons for tea.
But they sat tight. They had, as Miss Clomber said afterwards, a soul to save. They both realized how pleasant might be the earthly lot of one engaged in this heavenly occupation. 'Hah! You call a spade a spade, Mr. Reddin, said Miss Clomber, with a frosty glance at Hazel; 'you are not, as our dear Browning has it, "mealy mouthed".
Before he could recover it Reddin had stooped, secured a lower grip, and in a moment hurled his adversary clear over his shoulder. A roar of applause went up from the spectators; and Goodine, after trying to rise, lay still and groaned, "I'm licked, Jim. I've had enough." The boss soon pronounced that Bill's shoulder was dislocated, and that he'd have to go back to the settlements to be doctored.
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