"She does—I'm not judging her. Jacob Bullstone is a difficult man in some ways, though where she's concerned I don't quarrel with him. Margery is a very good wife; but she was always fond of pleasure in season and out; and that's the weakness."
"Well, Bullstone ain't. By no means a pleasure-loving man; and we must give him credit in his children also. They've been brought up to the dignity of work. They're not spoiled."
"He'll claim the credit, no doubt; but I shan't be sorry when they're out in the world."
"The blessing is that they've got what Jeremy never did have," said Mr. Huxam; "and that's an idea of what they want to do. John Henry will be a farmer, and there's no shadow of turning with him, young as he is. That's Pulleyblank. Then Peter's for the dogs. He'll carry on his father's business. They're not particular good scholars, so schoolmaster tells me, but they'll go to work presently, knowing all they need to know about learning in general. And you can get on without a lot of learning, so called, amazing well. Then Avis is handsome and will be married in a few years. And that only leaves Auna."
"To call a child after the river was a silly thing, and I never thought the same of the man after he did it," said Judith.
"It was poetry," explained Barlow. "And you can't fairly blame him. Margery loves the river and she would have it so."
"He ought to have withstood her. My wish was 'Mary.' We haven't had a 'Mary' since my aunt died."
"Auna's the living daps of what her mother was at eleven years old," continued Mr. Huxam. "But Jeremy's the matter now. I'm going to propose that he sees his brother-in-law as soon as may be. Jacob Bullstone will help him for his wife's sake, if it can be done. He's always been very well disposed to Jeremy."
"What can he do?"
"Who knows? We never yet did ask him to lend a hand, and this may be the appointed time."