“I wish I thought so. Come. Us can ax that much.”
A few minutes later they stood at Mrs. Blanchard’s door and knocked. The widow herself appeared, fully dressed, wide awake, and perfectly collected. Her manner told Mr. Lyddon nothing.
“What might you want, Miller?”
“’T is Will. There’s bin blows struck and violence done, I hear.”
“I can tell ’e the rest. The bwoy’s paid his score an’ got full measure. He wanted to be even with you, tu, but they wouldn’t let un.”
“If he ban’t dead, I’ll make him smart yet for his evil act.”
“I warned ’e. He was cheated behind his back, an’ played with the same cards what you did, and played better.”
“Wheer is he now? That’s what I want to knaw.”
“Up in the house. They met on the bridge an’ Grimbal bested him, Will bein’ weary an’ empty-bellied. When the man flinged him in the stream, he got under the arch behind the rocks afore he lost his head for a time and went senseless. When he comed to he crawled up the croft and I let un in.”
“Thank God he’s not dead; but punishment he shall have if theer’s justice in the land.”