"'Cos tha'rt such a great big feller," she said.
"What in the name of all that's wonderful has that to do with it?"
The minx looked archly up into my face.
"Tha'rt too high for a maid to kiss," says she.
To this I made no answer, being no whit inclined to bandy words
with this pert young housemaid. And so we came to the house.
"We have been considering your case," said the master, when I again
stood before him. "Are you still set on going to Bristowe?"
"Truly, sir, I have seen nought to change my mind."
"You know you are miles out of your road?"
"'Tis through coming over the fields," I said.
"Well, if you are bent upon it, I will furnish you with money
enough to take you there, and trust to you to repay me in good
time."
"'Tis good of you, sir," I said, guessing, and not wrongly, I
think, at whose persuasion he made that offer.
Then I was silent. The name "charity brat," bestowed on me years
before by Cyrus Vetch, still rankled in my soul, and though, now
that I look back upon it, there was nothing that need have wounded
my pride in accepting the proffered loan, I was loath to be
beholden to any man. Maybe my feeling on this point was complicated
with another of which I was as yet hardly conscious; but certain it
is that, after standing silent for a brief space, I said suddenly:
"I thank you heartily, sir, but I had liever earn the money."
"Pish, lad!" cried the gentleman. "'Tis easy to see you are not of
laboring rank, and as for the money, I shall not break if I never
see it again.
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