ou
can't tell me, grandfather, about John Crumb, I knows him.'

'Didn't ye say as how ye'd have him? Didn't ye give him a promise?'

'If I did, I ain't the first girl as has gone back of her word,--and I
shan't be the last.'

'You means you won't have him?'

'That's about it, grandfather.'

'Then you'll have to have somebody to fend for ye, and that pretty
sharp,--for you won't have me.'

'There ain't no difficulty about that, grandfather.'

'Very well. He's a coming here to-night, and you may settle it along
wi' him. Out o' this ye shall go. I know of your doings.'

'What doings! You don't know of no doings. There ain't no doings. You
don't know nothing ag'in me.'

'He's a coming here to-night, and if you can make it up wi' him, well
and good. There's five hun'erd pound, and ye shall have the dinner and
dance and all Bungay. He ain't a going to be put off no longer;--he
ain't.'

'Whoever wanted him to be put on? Let him go his own gait.'

'If you can't make it up wi' him--'

'Well, grandfather, I shan't anyways.'

'Let me have my say, will ye, yer jade, you? There's five hun'erd
pound! and there ain't ere a farmer in Suffolk or Norfolk paying rent
for a bit of land like this can do as well for his darter as that,--let
alone only a granddarter. You never thinks o' that;--you don't. If you
don't like to take it,--leave it. But you'll leave Sheep's Acre too.'

'Bother Sheep's Acre. Who wants to stop at Sheep's Acre? It's the
stoopidest place in all England.'

'Then find another. Then find another. That's all aboot it. John
Crumb's a coming up for a bit o' supper. You tell him your own mind.
I'm dommed if I trouble aboot it. On'y you don't stay here. Sheep's
Acre ain't good enough for you, and you'd best find another home.
Stoopid, is it? You'll have to put up wi' places stoopider nor Sheep's
Acre, afore you've done.'

In regard to the hospitality promised to Mr Crumb, Miss Ruggles went
about her work with sufficient alacrity. She was quite willing that
the young man should have a supper, and she did understand that, so
far as the preparation of the supper went, she owed her service to her
grandfather. She therefore went to work herself, and gave directions
to the servant girl who assisted her in keeping her grandfather's
house. But as she did this, she determined that she would make John
Crumb understand that she would never be his wife. Upon that she was
now fully resolved. As she went about the kitc