“Young varmint! He probably slipped off to help the ostler groom your horses, Bab. That’s what he wanted to do, when I made him stay here.”
“What?” ejaculated Mr. Babbacombe, in lively dismay.
“Oh, don’t be afraid! He’s very good with horses. With all animals, Huggate tells me. I shall have to try if I can induce one of my tenant-farmers to take charge of him until he’s old enough to work under Cocking,” John said, wrinkling his brow. “I wonder—”
“If it’s all the same to you, Soldier,” interrupted Chirk, “seeing as his dad’s hopped the twig, and his brother ain’t likely to want him, even if he was to come home, which I daresay he won’t, I’ll take young Ben, and bring him up decent. He’s a likely lad, and if it hadn’t been for him opening the door to me the very first night I see you, Soldier, I never would have seen you, and, consequent, I wouldn’t be setting up for myself respectable, nor marrying Rose neither. So, if Rose ain’t got no objection, we’ll take Benny along with us.”
“Certainly we will!” Rose said, a martial light in her eye. “Many’s the time, since his mother died, I’ve wanted to give him a good wash, poor little fellow, and mend his clothes, and teach him his manners!”
“Well, he may not relish that overmuch,” said John, grinning, “but there’s no doubt he’d far rather be with Jerry than with me.”
“John,” said Nell, who had been frowning at the horses, “why have you brought those two horses here? That brown belongs to my cousin, and the bay is Coate’s!”
“Well, yes, dearest! The thing is—but let us go into the house! At least, I must stable Beau first!”
“I’ll do that,” said Chirk. “And since I’m going to stay here, I’ll take Mollie too.”
“Perhaps,” suggested Nell, “Rose should go with you to explain the matter to Huggate.”