' I removed the vessel out of his reach, and proceeded
to take off my hat and riding-habit. 'Mr. Earnshaw,' I continued,
'directs me to wait on myself: I will. I'm not going to act the lady
among you, for fear I should starve.'

'Gooid Lord!' he muttered, sitting down, and stroking his ribbed
stockings from the knee to the ankle. 'If there's to be fresh
ortherings--just when I getten used to two maisters, if I mun hev' a
_mistress_ set o'er my heead, it's like time to be flitting. I niver
_did_ think to see t' day that I mud lave th' owld place--but I doubt
it's nigh at hand!'

This lamentation drew no notice from me: I went briskly to work, sighing
to remember a period when it would have been all merry fun; but compelled
speedily to drive off the remembrance. It racked me to recall past
happiness and the greater peril there was of conjuring up its apparition,
the quicker the thible ran round, and the faster the handfuls of meal
fell into the water. Joseph beheld my style of cookery with growing
indignation.

'Thear!' he ejaculated. 'Hareton, thou willn't sup thy porridge
to-neeght; they'll be naught but lumps as big as my neive. Thear, agean!
I'd fling in bowl un' all, if I wer ye! There, pale t' guilp off, un'
then ye'll hae done wi' 't. Bang, bang. It's a mercy t' bothom isn't
deaved out!'

It _was_ rather a rough mess, I own, when poured into the basins; four
had been provided, and a gallon pitcher of new milk was brought from the
dairy, which Hareton seized and commenced drinking and spilling from the
expansive lip. I expostulated, and desired that he should have his in a
mug; affirming that I could not taste the liquid treated so dirtily. The
old cynic chose to be vastly offended at this nicety; assuring me,
repeatedly, that 'the barn was every bit as good' as I, 'and every bit as
wollsome,' and wondering how I could fashion to be so conceited.
Meanwhile, the infant ruffian continued sucking; and glowered up at me
defyingly, as he slavered into the jug.

'I shall have my supper in another room,' I said. 'Have you no place you
call a parlour?'

'_Parlour_!' he echoed, sneeringly, '_parlour_! Nay, we've noa
_parlours_. If yah dunnut loike wer company, there's maister's; un' if
yah dunnut loike maister, there's us.'

'Then I shall go up-stairs,' I answered; 'show me a chamber.'

I put my basin on a tray, and went myself to fetch some more milk. With
great grumblings, the fellow rose, and p