But he who had disturbed the peace of others, his own turn came.
One day he found Mercy crying: he sat clown beside her, and said, kindly, "Why, sweetheart, what is amiss?"
"No great matter," said she; and turned her head away, but did not check her tears, for it was new and pleasant to be consoled by Thomas Leicester.
"Nay, but tell me, child."
"Well, then, Jessie Carrick has been at me; that is all."
"The vixen! what did she say?"
"Nay, I'm not pleased enow with it to repeat it. She did cast something in my teeth."
Griffith pressed her to be more explicit: she declined, with so many blushes, that his curiosity was awakened, and he told Mrs. Vint, with some heat, that Jess Carrick had been making Mercy cry.
"Like enow," said Mrs. Vint, coolly. "She'll eat her victuals all one for that, please God."
"Else I'll ring the cock-nosed jade's neck, next time she comes here," replied Griffith; "but, dame, I want to know what she can have to say to Mercy to make her cry."