“Speak the truth, mate, you was the worst,” grumbled Wriggs.
“You was just as bad about it, Billy. Didn’t you say as it would be grand to have a house to live in, with b’iling water laid on at your front door?”
“Nay, that I didn’t, Tommy. How could I when there warn’t no front door and no house built?”
“You are so partickler to a word, mate. It was something of that kind.”
“Nay, Tommy.”
“Why, it was, and you says you’d want a missus, on’y you didn’t know as how a white missus’d care to come and live out in a place where there warn’t no pumps, and you couldn’t abide to have one as was black.”
“Well!” exclaimed Wriggs indignantly, “of all the ’orrid yarns! Why, it were him, gents, as said all that. Now, speak the truth, Tommy, warn’t it you?”
“Now you comes to talk about it that way, Billy, I begin to think as it were; but it don’t matter, let’s say it was both on us.”
“How much farther is it to the wonder?” asked Oliver.
“About a mile,” replied Panton. “There, curb your impetuosity and don’t be jealous when you get there.”