And with that she rounded on John a
Hall. "I think I heard you talkin' of poison, Mr. Martin," says she,
"not to mention kidnapping, and worse. And you asked, or my ears deceived
me, if we knew the difference between poison and fair play? Well, we do.
And likewise we know the difference between sickness and shamming; and
likewise, again, the difference between making a demonstration in church
and walking out because you've three fingers of White Ale inside you and
it don't lie down with your other vittles. I ask ye, folks all,"--and here
she swung round to the crowd--"did ever one of you hear that Christiana
Lebow's White Ale was poison? Hasn't it been known and famous in this
town before ever a Martin came to trouble us? And hasn't it times and
again steadied my own inside when it rebelled against their attorney's--
tricks? Well now, I tell you, I gave three fingers of it to Lord William
yesterday when he called in the way of politeness on his road to church:
and sorry I am for the young man; and wouldn't ha' done it if I guessed
he'd been taking coffee with his breakfast. For White Ale and coffee be
like Bottrells and Martins: they weren't made to mix. And another three
fingers I doled out to the old Squire, and more by token 'twas the first
time he'd ever darkened my threshold. That's my story: 'tis truth from a
truth-speaking woman. And now if any silly fellow is going to vote Whig
because o' yesterday, all I can say is--let him drink a breakfast cup of
coffee and come to me for a glass of the other stuff; and if in forty
minutes' time he's got any particular concern about Church matters, you
may call me a--a--Martin!"

"That's all very well, ma'am," shouted John a Hall, as soon as he could
make himself heard for the laughing. "But it don't account for the
Major."

"'Twasn't meant to, my son," snapped Kitty, by this time in high good
humour over her success as a public speaker. "But you started to talk
about poison, so I thought I'd correct 'ee before you made a second goose
of yourself over kidnapping."

But just at this moment a couple of men came running and shouting from the
far end of the street.

"We've found 'en! We've found 'en!"

"Where is he _to_?" and "I told you so!" cried John a Hall and Kitty both
in one breath.

"He's over 'pon the Island, making love to Mrs. Lebow's youngest daughter,
Lally! The tide's cut 'em off; but Arch'laus Trebilcock's put off to
fetch 'em home in his new