Wives and Daughters: An Every-Day Story - Page 279/572

"At any rate, sir! I can scarcely reconcile the manner and words

to my father, which I heard you use when I first came up, with the

deference you ought to have shown to a man of his age and position.

As to the fact of the trespass--"

"They are pulling up all the gorse, Roger--there'll be no cover

whatever for game soon," put in the Squire.

Roger bowed to his father, but took up his speech at the point it was

at before the interruption.

"I will inquire into it myself at a cooler moment; and if I find that

such trespass or damage has been committed, of course I shall expect

that you will see it put a stop to. Come, father! I am going to

see old Silas--perhaps you don't know that he is very ill." So he

endeavoured to wile the Squire away to prevent further words. He was

not entirely successful.

Mr. Preston was enraged by Roger's calm and dignified manner,

and threw after them this parting shaft, in the shape of a loud

soliloquy,--

"Position, indeed! What are we to think of the position of a man who

begins works like these without counting the cost, and comes to a

stand-still, and has to turn off his labourers just at the beginning

of winter, leaving--"

They were too far off to hear the rest. The Squire was on the point

of turning back before this, but Roger took hold of the reins of the

old mare, and led her over some of the boggy ground, as if to guide

her into sure footing, but, in reality, because he was determined to

prevent the renewal of the quarrel. It was well that the cob knew

him, and was, indeed, old enough to prefer quietness to dancing; for

Mr. Hamley plucked hard at the reins, and at last broke out with an

oath,--"Damn it, Roger! I'm not a child; I won't be treated as such.

Leave go, I say!"

Roger let go; they were now on firm ground, and he did not wish any

watchers to think that he was exercising any constraint over his

father; and this quiet obedience to his impatient commands did more

to soothe the Squire than anything else could have effected just

then.

"I know I turned them off--what could I do? I'd no more money for

their weekly wages; it's a loss to me, as you know. He doesn't know,

no one knows, but I think your mother would, how it cut me to turn

'em off just before winter set in. I lay awake many a night thinking

of it, and I gave them what I had--I did, indeed. I hadn't got money

to pay 'em, but I had three barren cows fattened, and gave every

scrap of meat to the men, and I let 'em go into the woods and gather

what was fallen, and I winked at their breaking off old branches, and

now to have it cast up against me by that cur--that servant. But I'll

go on with the works, by ----, I will, if only to spite him. I'll

show him who I am. My position, indeed! A Hamley of Hamley takes a

higher position than his master. I'll go on with the works, see if

I don't! I'm paying between one and two hundred a year interest on

Government money. I'll raise some more if I go to the Jews; Osborne

has shown me the way, and Osborne shall pay for it--he shall. I'll

not put up with insults. You shouldn't have stopped me, Roger! I wish

to heaven I'd horsewhipped the fellow!"