“Isaac? Then Will ’ud be the one what married the coffee-coloured lady.”
“I told you the other day that was Christopher.”
“Ay, him in Australia.”
“Africa surely,” put in Elijah, puffing at his pipe with superior amusement.
“They furrin places be much of a muchness,” said Caleb. “And my buoy-oys were as like as a baker’s dozen.”
“There were girls in the batch,” corrected Martha. “But how you can forget that dreadful Sunday night, you who snipped the darling’s buttons——!”
“If I don’t see the pig soon,” interrupted Elijah, losing patience, “the light’ll be gone altogether.”
“Oi’ll git a lantern,” said Caleb placidly. “Oi often used to set and wonder how they lads knowed theirselves, the one from the ’tother. Well, the Lord bless ’em all, says Oi, wherever they goo, and whichever they be.”
“So you see,” said Jinny, with a faint blush hardly visible by owl-light, “there’s no need to waste Mr. Skindle’s time over the letter.”
“No more there ain’t!” said Caleb dazedly. “Come along, sir!”