"It didn't ought to."
"There's no anger to it, nor nothing like that, Thomas?"
"Not a bit. I'm very friendly disposed to all concerned."
"Mind—don't you answer if you don't want; but is there a woman in it, Thomas?"
Mr. Palk considered.
"If there was?"
"Then be terrible careful."
"There is—and that's all I be going to tell you," answered Mr. Palk, growing a little uneasy.
The carpenter doubted not that here lay direct allusion to Dinah and Lawrence; but he had no motive, beyond inherent curiosity, for going farther into that matter then. Indeed, he saw the gathering concern of Mr. Palk and sought only to put him at his ease.
"You're not a boy," he said. "And you have got plenty of experience of human nature and a Christian outlook. I should fall back on my religion if I was you, Tom, for you can trust that to lead over the doubtfullest ground. You're not a joker-head, as would rush in and make trouble along of hasty opinions; and if you think what's doing be wrong, and if you think a word in season might do good and make the mistaken party hesitate afore he went on with it, then, in my judgment, you'd do well and wisely to speak. But keep the woman in your mind and do naught to hurt her."