Sylvia's Lovers - Page 134/290

'A'm noan so sure as t' missus 'll like it,' said he; 'tho'

whativer she'll ha' to say again it, mischief only knows. But she's

noan keen on matterimony; though a have made her as good a man as

there is in a' t' Ridings. Anyhow, a'm master, and that she knows.

But may-be, for t' sake o' peace an' quietness--tho' she's niver a

scolding tongue, that a will say for her--we'n best keep this matter

to ourselves till thou comes int' port again. T' lass upstairs 'll

like nought better than t' curl hersel' round a secret, and purr

o'er it, just as t' oud cat does o'er her blind kitten. But thou'll

be wanting to see t' lass, a'll be bound. An oud man like me isn't

as good company as a pretty lass.' Laughing a low rich laugh over

his own wit, Daniel went to the bottom of the stairs, and called,

'Sylvie, Sylvie! come down, lass! a's reet; come down!' For a time there was no answer. Then a door was unbolted, and Sylvia

said, 'I can't come down again. I'm noan comin' down again to-night.' Daniel laughed the more at this, especially when he caught Charley's

look of disappointment.

'Hearken how she's bolted her door. She'll noane come near us this

night. Eh! but she's a stiff little 'un; she's been our only one, and

we'n mostly let her have her own way. But we'll have a pipe and a

glass; and that, to my thinking, is as good company as iver a woman

in Yorkshire.'