re even
hinted, Annie would be most indignant, and ask, with cheeks as red as
roses, who had ever seen Master Faggus any the worse for liquor indeed?
Her own opinion was, in truth, that he took a great deal too little,
after all his hard work, and hard riding, and coming over the hills to
be insulted! And if ever it lay in her power, and with no one to grudge
him his trumpery glass, she would see that poor Tom had the nourishment
which his cough and his lungs required.

His lungs being quite as sound as mine, this matter was out of all
argument; so mother and I looked at one another, as much as to say, "let
her go upstairs, she will cry and come down more reasonable." And while
she was gone, we used to say the same thing over and over again; but
without perceiving a cure for it. And we almost always finished up with
the following reflection, which sometimes came from mother's lips, and
sometimes from my own: "Well, well, there is no telling. None can say
how a man may alter; when he takes to matrimony. But if we could only
make Annie promise to be a little firm with him!"

I fear that all this talk on our part only hurried matters forward,
Annie being more determined every time we pitied her. And at last Tom
Faggus came, and spoke as if he were on the King's road, with a pistol
at my head, and one at mother's. "No more fast and loose," he cried.
"either one thing or the other. I love the maid, and she loves me; and
we will have one another, either with your leave, or without it. How
many more times am I to dance over these vile hills, and leave my
business, and get nothing more than a sigh or a kiss, and 'Tom, I must
wait for mother'? You are famous for being straightforward, you Ridds.
Just treat me as I would treat you now."

I looked at my mother; for a glance from her would have sent Tom out of
the window; but she checked me with her hand, and said, "You have
some ground of complaint, sir; I will not deny it. Now I will be as
straight-forward with you, as even a Ridd is supposed to be. My son and
myself have all along disliked your marriage with Annie. Not for what
you have been so much, as for what we fear you will be. Have patience,
one moment, if you please. We do not fear your taking to the highway
life again; for that you are too clever, no doubt, now that you have
property. But we fear that you will take to drinking, and to squandering
money. There are many examples of this around us; and we know what the
f