“Oppen ge-at now, wull ’e, Jan? Maind, young sow wi’ the baible back arlway hath first toorn of it, ’cos I brought her up on my lap, I did. Zuck, zuck, zuck! How her stickth her tail up; do me good to zee un! Now thiccy trough, thee zany, and tak thee girt legs out o’ the wai. Wish they wud gie thee a good baite, mak thee hop a bit vaster, I reckon. Hit that there girt ozebird over’s back wi’ the broomstick, he be robbing of my young zow. Choog, choog, choog! and a drap more left in the dripping-pail.”
“Come now, Betty,” I said, when all the pigs were at it sucking, swilling, munching, guzzling, thrusting, and ousting, and spilling the food upon the backs of their brethren (as great men do with their charity), “come now, Betty, how much longer am I to wait for your message? Surely I am as good as a pig.”
“Dunno as thee be, Jan. No straikiness in thy bakkon. And now I come to think of it, Jan, thee zed, a wake agone last Vriday, as how I had got a girt be‑ard. Wull ’e stick to that now, Maister Jan?”
“No, no, Betty, certainly not; I made a mistake about it. I should have said a becoming mustachio, such as you may well be proud of.”
“Then thee be a laiar, Jan Ridd. Zay so, laike a man, lad.”
“Not exactly that, Betty; but I made a great mistake; and I humbly ask your pardon; and if such a thing as a crown-piece, Betty”—
“No fai, no fai!” said Betty, however she put it into her pocket; “now tak my advice, Jan; thee marry Zally Snowe.”
“Not with all England for her dowry. Oh, Betty, you know better.”
“Ah’s me! I know much worse, Jan. Break thy poor mother’s heart it will. And to think of arl the danger! Dost love Larna now so much?”
“With all the strength of my heart and soul. I will have her, or I will die, Betty.”
“Wull. Thee will die in either case. But it baint for me to argify. And do her love thee too, Jan?”
“I hope she does, Betty I hope she does. What do you think about it?”
“Ah, then I may hold my tongue to it. Knaw what boys and maidens be, as well as I knew young pegs. I myzell been o’ that zort one taime every bit so well as you be.” And Betty held the lantern up, and defied me to deny it; and the light through the horn showed a gleam in her eyes, such as I had never seer there before. “No odds, no odds about that,” she continued; “mak a fool of myzell to spake of it. Arl gone into churchyard. But it be a lucky foolery for thee, my boy, I can tull ’ee. For I love to see the love in thee. Coom’th over me as the spring do, though I be naigh three score. Now, Jan, I will tell thee one thing, can’t abear to zee thee vretting so. Hould thee head down, same as they pegs do.”
So I bent my head quite close to her; and she whispered in my ear, “Goo of a marning, thee girt soft. Her can’t get out of an avening now, her hath zent word to me, to tull ’ee.”
In the glory of my delight at this, I bestowed upon Betty a chaste salute, with all the pigs for witnesses; and she took it not amiss, considering how long she had been out of practice. But then she fell back, like a broom on its handle, and stared at me, feigning anger.
“Oh fai, oh fai! Lunnon impudence, I doubt. I vear thee hast gone on zadly, Jan.”
XXXIII
An Early Morning Call
Of course I was up the very next morning before the October sunrise, and away through the wild and the woodland towards the Bagworthy water, at the foot of the long cascade. The rising of the sun was noble in the cold and warmth of it; peeping down the spread of light, he raised his shoulder heavily over the edge of grey mountain, and wavering length of upland. Beneath his gaze the dew-fogs dipped, and crept to the hollow places; then stole away in line and column, holding skirts, and clinging subtly at the sheltering corners, where rock hung over grassland; while the brave lines of the hills came forth, one beyond other gliding.
Then the woods arose in folds, like drapery of awakened mountains, stately with a depth of awe, and memory of the tempests. Autumn’s mellow hand was on them, as they owned already, touched with gold, and red, and olive; and their joy towards the sun was less to a bridegroom than a father.
Yet before the floating impress of the woods could clear itself, suddenly the gladsome light leaped over hill and valley, casting amber, blue, and purple, and a tint of rich red rose; according to the scene they lit on, and the curtain flung around; yet all alike dispelling fear and the cloven hoof of darkness, all on the wings of hope advancing, and proclaiming, “God is here.” Then
