“Very good, Father,” said Bertha. “But, O Father! who’ll stitch your buttons on, and comb your hair when you rest after work, and sing to you? O Father, let me go back!”
“Tut, tut, lass!” said old Dan, clearing his throat energetically. “If one wife and four daughters cannot keep a man’s buttons on, there’s somewhat wanting somewhere. I shall miss thy singing, I dare say; but I can come down, thou knows, of a holy-day even, to hear thee. And as to combin’—stars knows I shall get enough o’ that, and a bit o’er that I can spare for old Christopher next door. He’s got no wife, and only one lass, and she’s a peaceable un. He’s a deal to be thankful for. Now, God be wi’ ye both. Keep a good heart, and step out. I’ll let ye get a bit on afore I tell Her. And then I’ll run for’t!”
Avice and Bertha “stepped out” accordingly; and as nobody came after them, they concluded that things were tolerably smooth. They did not see anybody from the smithy until two days later; and then, rather late in the evening—namely, about six o’clock—Dan himself made his appearance, with one bundle slung on a stick over his shoulder, and another carried like a baby.
“Well!” said he, as he sat down on the settle, and wiped his hot face with his apron. “Well!”
“O Father, I’m so glad!” said Bertha. “Are those my things? How good of you to bring them!”
“Ay, they be,” said Dan emphatically. “Take ’em and make the best thou can of ’em; for thou’ll get no more where they came from, I can tell thee.”
“Was Aunt Filomena very much put out?” asked Avice, in a rather penitent tone.
“She wasn’t put out o’ nothing,” answered Dan, “except conduct becoming a Christian woman. She was turned into a wild dragon, all o’er claws and teeth, and there was three little dragons behind her, and they was all a-top o’ me together. If El’nor hadn’t thought better on’t, and come and stood by me, there wouldn’t have been much o’ me to bring these here.”
“Then you did not run, Uncle Dan?” replied Avice.
“She clutched me, lass!” responded Dan, with awful solemnity. “And t’others, they had me too. Thee try to run with a wild dragon holding on to thy hair, and three more to thy arms and legs—just do! I wonder I’m not tore to bits—I do. Howsome’er, here I be; and I just wish I could stop. Ay, I do so!”