he old man stood bawling at the back
door. 'The devil's in them. They're off some gates,' he said
aloud. 'She'll make the place hot for her, if she goes on this way.'
Then he returned to the two young men. 'She's playing off her games
somewheres,' he said. 'Take a glass of sperrits and water, Mr Crumb,
and I'll see after her.'

'I'll just take a drop of y'ell,' said John Crumb, apparently quite
unmoved by the absence of his sweetheart.

It was sad work for the old man. He went down the yard and into the
garden, hobbling among the cabbages, not daring to call very loud, as
he did not wish to have it supposed that the girl was lost; but still
anxious, and sore at heart as to the ingratitude shown to him. He was
not bound to give the girl a home at all. She was not his own child.
And he had offered her L500! 'Domm her,' he said aloud as he made his
way back to the house. After much search and considerable loss of time
he returned to the kitchen in which the two men were sitting, leading
Ruby in his hand. She was not smart in her apparel, for she had half
undressed herself, and been then compelled by her grandfather to make
herself fit to appear in public. She had acknowledged to herself that
she had better go down and tell John Crumb the truth. For she was
still determined that she would never be John Crumb's wife. 'You can
answer him as well as I, grandfather,' she had said. Then the farmer
had cuffed her, and told her that she was an idiot. 'Oh, if it comes
to that,' said Ruby, 'I'm not afraid of John Crumb, nor yet of nobody
else. Only I didn't think you'd go to strike me, grandfather.' 'I'll
knock the life out of thee, if thou goest on this gate,' he had said.
But she had consented to come down, and they entered the room
together.

'We're a disturbing you a'most too late, miss,' said Mr Mixet.

'It ain't that at all, Mr Mixet. If grandfather chooses to have a few
friends, I ain't nothing against it. I wish he'd have a few friends a
deal oftener than he do. I likes nothing better than to do for 'em;--
only when I've done for 'em and they're smoking their pipes and that
like, I don't see why I ain't to leave 'em to 'emselves.'

'But we've come here on a hauspicious occasion, Miss Ruby.'

'I don't know nothing about auspicious, Mr Mixet. If you and Mr
Crumb've come out to Sheep's Acre farm for a bit of supper--'

'Which we ain't,' said John Crumb very loudly;--'nor yet for beer;--not
by no means.'

'We've come f