Mr. Rutherford could not restrain a smile at the earnestness of the old man, and the singularity of his idea.
'From your description, Mr. Cutter, you are not much better off here than our people in the barrens.'
'Not much to boast on, I tell you, sir. Only they can't raise nothing, and must depend upon old Cross for work to buy their bread with, and he charges them just what he pleases; and if they should grumble, or ask for their money to spend elsewhere, he would turn them off entirely, and then they might live on huckle berries and pine knots.'
'They are badly off, I believe, sir; but I hope to be able to make some change in things there. The people are, no doubt, imposed upon, and I shall not allow it to be so if I can help it.'
'Bless your young heart for saying so; but you must look out for Cross; he's a precious villain—I tell you.'
'I believe he is no better than he should be; but I shall try to manage it, so as not to injure the poor folks, at any rate.'
'Well, I'm glad on it, for there are some clever people among them. There's the widow Brown; why you must know her? she used to live in your father's family.'
'Oh, yes, I know her well, Mr. Cutter; and part of my errand down was to see her. Her daughter, I hope, will go home with me to live.'
'What! Hettie! Hettie ain't going away—and yet she ought to go out of such a hole as this. She is too pretty and too good to be round here. What's the matter, Bill? Where's the use of keeping the old bellows creaking, when there's no iron in the fire?'
'Oh, I didn't think. You are done, ain't you?'