“If it’s two or three and twenty ’twill be all the better,” observed the carpenter, with a smile.
This little matter being satisfactorily arranged, the landlord and his guest bent their steps in the direction of the hostelry.
“Yer had a tidy old scrimmage with Master Giles t’other evening, hadn’t ’ee?” observed the farmer, as they took their way along.
“Yes,” answered his companion.
“Short and sweet, wa’nt it, like a donkey’s gallop?”
“It was short, but there was not much sweetness about it.”
“About the girl Nelly, eh?”
“So he said. Is he a lover of hers?”
“Lord love you, no! not a bit on it; but he’s spooney on her, so I’ve been told. But she won’t ha’ anything to say to’un. Nell knows too much on him for that.”
“He’s an impudent, ruffianly fellow.”