“Mercy! Why should eugannicks make me blush?”
Alfred chuckled again.
“You ask your Uncle Ben.”
Prudence nodded, satisfied that interrogation could not be pushed further. Her eyes were caught by the gleaming tankard.
“That be a be—utiful mug, Alfie.”
“Don’t ’ee touch it. I’ll tell ’ee why I brought un in here, and take payment after supper. The story be a kind o’ parryble.”
Prudence laughed.
“What big, brave words!”
Alfred pointed at the tankard. Unconsciously, he began to understudy the tone and manner of the village parson. We shall meet this gentleman presently. For the moment it is enough to say that he was a man of character and influence. He had taught Alfred in Sunday school and prepared him for Confirmation.
“The parryble o’ that there tankard’ll learn ’ee——”