United States or Norfolk Island ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"Gentlemen," he began, "I've bin amang ye noo a score years, and I can truly say there's not a man in this room I can ca' 'Friend." He looked along the ranks of upturned faces. "Ay, David, I see ye, and you, Mr. Hornbut, and you, Mr. Sylvester ilka one o' you, and not one as'd back me like a comrade gin a trouble came upon me."
"She's as nice-spoken a young lady as I've met," resumed his wife. "No pride about her, you know. She's just simple and friendly-like. Yet I'd like to see the man as'd take a liberty with her all the same." Rickett pulled at his pipe with a grunt. When not at work, it was usually his rôle to sit and listen to his wife's chatter. "She ain't been brought up in a convent," continued Mrs. Rickett.
I wonder if I could find anything to do down here?" Matthew Nicholls stroked his beard thoughtfully. "The folk round about are not over partial to strangers," he observed, "and you'm been away so long I reckon there's not many as'd recollect you. And as for carpentering jobs, there's Tom Lake over at Lesser Blakeney and his brother down at Brancaster, besides me on the spot, as you might say.
'Ah, said Sam, 'I should ha' s'posed that; but what I mean is, should you like a drop of anythin' as'd warm you? but I s'pose you never was cold, with all them elastic fixtures, was you? 'Sometimes, replied the boy; 'and I likes a drop of something, when it's good. 'Oh, you do, do you? said Sam, 'come this way, then!
So when we found, from Martha Jones's lad, what my old mates was up to, I talked the matter over with old Job Paynter, and we hit upon a plan as'd just turn the tables on 'em, and might do 'em some good. It were all arranged with our John as we should be at liberty to come to his cottage here till the place were ready for me at the colliery.
Bunfit, said he, 'there's that roguery about, that a plain man like me can't touch it. There's them as'd pick my eyes out while I was sleeping, and then swear it against my very self. Them were his words, and I knew as how Benjamin hadn't been on the square with him." "You didn't let on anything, Mr. Bunfit?"
Bunfit, hurried from their seats to help her. To neither of them did it occur for a moment that the fit was false. "The whole thing has been too much for her," said Mrs. Carbuncle severely, ringing the bell at the same time for further aid. "No doubt, mum; no doubt. We has to see a deal of this sort of thing. Just a little air, if you please, mum, and as much water as'd go to christen a babby.
"Thomas is not the chap to be scared out of what he's made up his mind to." "No," remarked another; "and there's many a one as'd stand by him if we were to try anything strong." "Can't we shame him at the meeting?" asked another. "Nay," said Jones, "he's gradely. You couldn't shame him by telling folks what he was; and all as knows him knows as he's kept his teetottal strict enough."
He has them sweats at night as'd be enough to kill any man; and he eats nothing, and he don't do nothing; and as for that poor little boy as is now in my own bed upstairs, if it wasn't that I and my Bessy is fond of children, I don't know what would become of that boy." Trevelyan, finding it impossible to get rid of her, had stood quietly, while he listened to her.
She were always a-sighing o'er the wickedness of the neighbours, and wishing she knew where she could find a young woman as'd suit her son for a wife. I didn't like her looks always, and I thought as there were a smell of spirits sometimes, as didn't suit me at all. But she were ever clean and tidy, and I never see'd any drink in the house.
Word Of The Day