“You would, David,” said Tom, smiling. “Never mind; it’s very tiresome, and he ought to have known better, if it was my cousin.”
“Knowed better, sir? Why, you’d ha’ thought a fine chap like he, dressed up to the nines with his shiny boots and hat, and smoking his ’bacco wrapped up in paper, instead of a dirty pipe, would ha’ been eddicated up to everything. There, sir, it’s Sunday mornin’, and I’m goin’ to church by-and-by, so I won’t let my angry passions rise; but if that young gent’s coming here much, I shall tell master as it’s all over with the garden, for I sha’n’t take no pride in it no more.”
“And that isn’t the worst of it,” thought Tom; “throwing those pears at Pete was telling him that we had plenty here on the walls, and tempting him to come.”
That day passed in a wearisome way to Tom. At church Sam swaggered in, and took his place after a haughty glance round, as if he were favouring the congregation by his condescension in coming. Then on leaving, when Mr Maxted bustled up to ask after Uncle Richard, fearing that he was absent from illness, till he heard that it was on account of his invalid brother, Sam began to show plenty of assumption and contempt for the little rustic church.
“Why don’t you have an organ?” he said.
“For two reasons, my dear young friend,” said Mr Maxted. “One is that we could not afford to buy one; the other that we have no one here who could play it if we had. We get on very well without.”
“But it sounds so comic for the clerk to go toot on that whistling thing, and then for people with such bad voices to do the singing, instead of a regular choir, the same as we have in town.”
“Dear me!” said Mr Maxted dryly, “it never sounds comic to my ears, for there is so much sincerity in the simple act of praise. But we are homely country people down here, and very rustic no doubt to you.”
“Confounded young prig!” said Mr Maxted, as he walked back to the Vicarage. “I felt as if I could kick him. Nice sentiments these for a clergyman on a Sunday,” he added. “But he did make me feel so cross.”
“What does he mean by calling me my dear young friend?” cried Sam, as soon as the Vicar was out of sight. “Nice time you must have of it down here, young fellow. But it serves you right for being so cocky and obstinate when you had such chances along with us.”