“Where’s Ben Walker?” I said, and then Mary found her voice.
“Aye,” she cried, “where is he? Oh! the coward, the coward!” and then she sobbed and cried again “Oh! the coward, the coward.” And just then the sneck was lifted and Ben Walker walked in.
He stood in the door way; but I banged the door behind him; and Soldier Jack took him by the arm and drew him into the room, whilst Faith soothed Mary and straightened her dress.
“And now, Ben Walker, give an account o’ thissen,” said George, standing before the shrinking man, with clenched fist and a flashing eye.
And Walker shamed and faltered. His eye wandered from one face to another, and found no comfort anywhere.
“It’s noan o’ my doing, George. Tha’ needn’t look so fierce. Awn laid no hand on her, han aw Mary? Speak th’ truth, choose what tha’ does, it goes th’ furthest.”
“Oh! you coward, you pitiful coward!” was all that Mary could say; but she was calmer now.
“It wer’ this way,” continued Walker reluctantly. “We’d done th’ shopping at Ned o’ Bill’s, an’ had passed th’ church an’ got well into th’ lane comin’ back. Aw wer’ carryin’ th’ basket.”
“Where is th’ basket?” cried my mother.
“By gow, I reckon aw mun ha’ dropped it. Aw nivver gav’ it a thowt’, an’ aw nivver missed it till nah. As aw wer’ saying’, aw wer’ huggin’ th’ basket wi’ one arm, an’ aw’d axed Mary to hold on to th’ other.”