William. What’s this you’ve been and done, John?
John. Why, master—the one with the cherry ribbons, to her you did say.
William. [Disgustedly.] ’Tis the wrong one.
Laura. What are you two talking about? William, do you mean to say as that man of yours was hid in the bushes all the while?
William. Now, John, you’ve got to get me out of the fix where I’m set.
John. O my dear master, don’t you take on so. ’Tis a little bit of misunderstanding to be sure, but one as can be put right very soon.
William. Then you get to work and set it right, John, for ’tis beyond the power of me to do so. I’ll be blessed if I’ll ever get meddling with this sort of job again.
John. Now don’t you get so heated, master, but leave it all to me. [Turning to Laura.] My good wench, it seems that there has been a little bit of misunderstanding between you and my gentleman here.
Laura. [Angrily.] So that’s what you call it—misunderstanding ’tis a fine long word, but not much of meaning, to it, I’m thinking.
John. Then you do think wrong. Suppose you was to go to market for to buy a nice spring chicken and when you was got half on the way to home you was to see as they had put you up a lean old fowl in place of it, what would you do then?