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And so we will!" said Grandfer Cantle, turning so briskly that his copper seals swung extravagantly. "I'm as dry as a kex with biding up here in the wind, and I haven't seen the colour of drink since nammet-time today. 'Tis said that the last brew at the Woman is very pretty drinking. And, neighbours, if we should be a little late in the finishing, why, tomorrow's Sunday, and we can sleep it off?"
There fell upon their ears the sound of numerous voices singing in front of the house. Among these, two made themselves prominent by their peculiarity: one was a very strong bass, the other a wheezy thin piping. Thomasin recognized them as belonging to Timothy Fairway and Grandfer Cantle respectively.
Yeobright were to die, d'ye think we should be took up and tried for the manslaughter of a woman?" "No, they couldn't bring it in as that," said Sam, "unless they could prove we had been poachers at some time of our lives. But she'll fetch round." "Now, if I had been stung by ten adders I should hardly have lost a day's work for't," said Grandfer Cantle. "Such is my spirit when I am on my mettle.
"Ah! but I love 'ee, Prue come, kiss me theer now, tell me all about it all about it, Prue." "Oh, grandfer!" said she, from the hollow of his shoulder, "'tis just Jarge!" The old man grew very still, his mouth opened slowly, and closed with a snap. "Did 'ee did'ee say Jarge, Prue? Is it breekin' your 'eart ye be for that theer poachin' Black Jarge?
He should have come afore, if so be he wanted to stop it, and marry her himself." "Perhaps he's coming to bide with his mother a little time, as she must feel lonely now the maid's gone." "Now, 'tis very odd, but I never feel lonely no, not at all," said Grandfer Cantle. "I am as brave in the night-time as a' admiral!"
"Grandfer Cantle! you take things very careless for an old man," said the wide woman. "I take things careless; I do too careless to please the women! Klk! I'll sing the 'Jovial Crew, or any other song, when a weak old man would cry his eyes out. Jown it; I am up for anything.
But today Prue's eyes were red, and her lips were all a-droop, the which, though her smile was brave and ready, the Ancient was quick to notice. "Why, Prue, lass, you've been weepin'!" "Yes, grandfer." "Your pretty eyes be all swole red they be; what's the trouble?" "Oh! 'tis nothing, dear, 'tis just a maid's fulishness never mind me, dear."
"Ay," said Grandfer Cantle, somewhat subdued in spirit; "and yet his mother cried for scores of hours when 'a was a boy, for fear he should outgrow hisself and go for a soldier." "Well, there's many just as bad as he." said Fairway. "Wethers must live their time as well as other sheep, poor soul." "So perhaps I shall rub on? Ought I to be afeared o' nights, Master Fairway?"
Grandfer Cantle's watch had numbered many followers in years gone by, but since he had grown older faiths were shaken. Thus, the mummers having gathered hither from scattered points each came with his own tenets on early and late; and they waited a little longer as a compromise.
"But now I think o't my shadder last night seemed just the shape of a coffin. What is it a sign of when your shade's like a coffin, neighbours? It can't be nothing to be afeared of, I suppose?" "Afeared, no!" said the Grandfer. "Faith, I was never afeard of nothing except Boney, or I shouldn't ha' been the soldier I was. Yes, 'tis a thousand pities you didn't see me in four!"
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