Without any preliminary, she at once demanded why he had not come down to see them.
'Mary,' said he, calling the servant, as if he did not hear her, 'Some ale, and the ginger wine, and the grey-beard--mebbe you'd like a drop a' shart'--to me; but I declined. She repeated her question, but Uncle Bennet was looking towards me.
'The wuts be very forrard,' said he, 'I got some a-most ready to cut.'
'Niece,' replied the farmer, turning to her, 'there's them summer apples as you used to like, there be some ready; will 'ee have one?'
'I don't want your apples; why didn't you come down?'
'Aw; that's what you be a-talking about.'
'The turmots wants some rain terrable bad' (to me)--'you med see the fly a-hopping about 'em.'
'I hope they will spoil your turnips,' said Cicely; 'you are a very rude man not to answer a lady when she speaks to you.'
'You be a-coming on nicely, Cissy,' said he. 'Have 'ee got are a gage-ring yet?'
'How dare you!' (blushing). 'Tell me instantly why have you not been to see us? You know how angry it makes me.'
'Well, I got to see a man down your way, Cissy; a' owes me for a load a' straw.'
'Then why don't you come down and get the money?'
'I telled 'ee I was a-coming. He wants some of our sheep to feed off a meadow; s'pose I must see about it'--with a sigh, as if the idea of a decision was insupportable.
'Aw, I don't seem to have no time'--farmers having more time than anybody else.
'Bless 'ee, your feyther's got the hay about; a' don't want no strangers bothering.'
'As if you were a stranger! Well, why didn't you come in May?'
'Well, then,' concluded Cicely, 'now just change your coat and come to-day. Jump up in the pony-trap--we will make room.'
'To-day!' in hopeless bewilderment, his breath quite taken away at the idea of such sudden action. 'Couldn't do't--couldn't do't. Got to go down to Thirty Acre Corner: got to get out the reaping machine--a' wants oiling, a' reckon; got some new hurdles coming; 'spects a chap to call about them lambs;' a farmer can always find a score of reasons for doing nothing.
'Nieces be main peart now-a-days,' said he, shutting one eye and keeping it closed, as much as to say--I won't be driven. Then to me, 'There won't be many at market to-day.'