“Ay, I will.”
“How is our mill doing?”
“If tha calls making money doing well, then the Temple and Annis mill can’t be beat, so far.”
“I am glad to hear it. Wheniver the notion takes thee, come and see me. I hev a bit of private business that I want to speak to thee about.”
“To be sure I’ll come and see thee—often.”
“Then I’ll leave thee to thysen”
“I’ll be obliged to thee, Josepha. Thou allays hed more sense than the average woman, who never seems to understand that average men like now and then to be left to their awn will and way.”
“I’ll go back with thee to Annis and we can do all our talking there.”
“That’s sensible. We will take the early coach two weeks from to-day. I’ll call for thee at eleven o’clock, and we’ll stay over at the old inn at Market Harborough.”
“That is right. I’ll go my ways now. Take care of thysen and behave thysen as well as tha can,” and then she clasped his hand and went good-naturedly away. But as she rode home, she said to herself—“Poor lad! I’ll forgive and help him, whativer he does. I hope Annie will be as loving. I wonder why God made women so varry good. He knew what kind of men they would mebbe hev to live with. Poor Antony! I hope he’ll hev a real good time—I do that!” and she smiled and shrugged her shoulders and kept the rest of her speculations to herself.