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"I knaw what you'm come about before you speak," answered the other." Sit you down an' us'll have a gude airing of ideas. But I'm sorry we won't get the value o' Billy Blee's thoughts 'pon the point, for he's away to-night." Damaris rather rejoiced than sorrowed in this circumstance, but she was too wise to say so. "A far-thinkin' man, no doubt," she admitted.
Theer'll be hell to pay if it's let bide now, sure as eggs is eggs an' winter, winter. You'll rue it; you'll gnash awver it; 't will turn against 'e an' rot the root an' blight the ear an' starve the things an' break your heart. Mark me, you'm doin' a cutthroat deed an' killin' all your awn luck by leavin' it here an hour longer." But Will showed no alarm at Mr. Blee's predictions.
Blee's language, left him to consider his misfortunes alone. Long he continued in the profoundest indignation, and it was not until Miller Lyddon returned, heard the news, and heartily congratulated Billy on a merciful escape, that the old man grew a little calmer under his disappointment, and moderated the bitterness and profanity of his remarks.
Because Martin had been right in his assertion concerning the gate-post, Blanchard felt a hazy conviction that Blee's estimate of the stone's virtue must also prove correct. He saw his wife at the window, and waved to her, and cried aloud that the cross was uncovered. "A poor thing in holy relics, sure 'nough," said Billy, wiping his forehead. "But a cross a clear cross?
Blanchard's cottage with her husband and his family. Clement Hicks had also promised to be of the party; but that was before the trouble of the previous week, and Chris knew he would not come. Meantime, Gaffer Lezzard, supported by two generations of his family, explained his reasons for objecting to Mr. Blee's proposed marriage. "Mrs. Coomstock be engaged, right and reg'lar, to me," he declared.
Lezzard, was more trying to the latter than all the accumulated misfortune of his sorry state Gaffer's own miseries appeared absolutely trivial by comparison with Mr. Blee's comments upon them. With another year Blanchard and Hicks became in some sort reconciled, though the former friendship was never renewed.
"Will, my awn Will!" she said, with a throbbing voice. "Ess fay, lovey! I knawed you'd sleep sweeter for hearin' tell I've done the work." "Done it?" "Truth." "It was a cruel, wicked shame; an' the blame's Billy Blee's, an' I've cried my eyes out since I heard what they set you to do; an' I've said what I thought; an' I'm sorry to bitterness about this marnin', dear Will." "'T is all wan now.
Blee's ear as he prepared to start homewards; and scarcely had the sound of it set him gasping when a big man grew out of the flame and shadow and stood before him with extended hand. "Burnish it all! You! Be it Blanchard or the ghost of un?" "The man hisself so big as bull's beef, an' so free as thicky fire!" said Will. Riotous joy sprang and bubbled in his voice.
When he had gone the miller spoke; but contrary to custom, he did not look into Mr. Blee's face while so doing. "You'm astonished, Billy," he said, "an' so be I, come to think of it. But I'm gettin' tu auld to fret my life away with vain strife. I be gwaine to prove un. He'd stand to anything, eh? 'Twas his word." "An' well he might." "Can 'e picture Blanchard cleaning out the pigs' house?"
Blee's remarks were here brutally arrested, for the contents of Will's spade saluted his furrowed features, and quite obliterated the old man. He fled roaring, and the other flung his spade twenty yards away, overturned his wheelbarrow, and again strode to the river. He was fairly bubbling and boiling now, nor did the business of cleaning gaiters and boots, arms and hands, restore him to peace.
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