"I am very glad that it should be so. It's the best place for him,—unless he could be sent to Australia."
"He ain't a-done nothing to fit himself for Botany Bay, Mr Whittlestaff," said the old woman, bobbing her head at him.
"I don't care what place he has fitted himself for, so long as he doesn't come here. He is a disreputable old man."
"You needn't be so hard upon him, Mr Whittlestaff. He ain't a-done nothing much to you, barring sleeping in the stable one night when he had had a drop o' drink too much." And the old woman pulled out a great handkerchief, and began to wipe her eyes piteously.
"What a fool you are, Mrs Baggett."
"Yes; I am a fool. I knows that."
"Here's this disreputable old man eating and drinking your hard-earned wages."
"But they are my wages. And who's a right to them, only he?"
"I don't say anything about that, only he comes here and disturbs you."
"Well, yes; he is disturbing; if it's only because of his wooden leg and red nose. I don't mean to say as he's the sort of a man as does a credit to a gentleman's house to see about the place. But he was my lot in matrimony, and I've got to put up with him. I ain't a-going to refuse to bear the burden which came to be my lot. I don't suppose he's earned a single shilling since he left the regiment, and that is hard upon a poor woman who's got nothing but her wages."