'Ah! Women wants mast-heading off and on, for 'em to have a bit of a look-out over life as it is. They go stewing over books of adventure and drop into frights about awful man. Take me, now; you had a no small admiration for my manly valour once, and you trusted yourself to me, and did you ever repent it?—owning you're not the young woman to tempt to t' other way.'
'You wouldn't have found me talking to you here if I had.'
'And here I'm left to defend an empty castle, am I?'
'Don't drink or you'll have your paytron on you. He's good use there.'
'I ask it, can I see my lady?'
'Drunk nor sober you won't. Serve a paytron, be a leper, you'll find, with all honest folk.'
Ines shook out an execrating leg at the foul word. 'Leper, you say? You say that? You say leper to me?'
'Strut your tallest, Kit Ines. It's the money rattles in your pocket says it.'
'It's my reputation for decent treatment of a woman lets you say it,
Madge Winch.'
'Stick to that as long as your paytron consents. It's the one thing you've got left.'