‘There’s no one I should like to work for better than you, Uncle Isaac—you know that.’
‘I do know it, Richard. I d’ know it very well. “But,” says you to me, “I must have somewheres to live,” says you.’
‘No, I don’t, Uncle Isaac! I say nothing of the kind,’ put in the young man hastily. ‘If you intended to remain a bachelor it would be a different matter, but—’
‘I’m not axing you to live wi’ me,’ returned Isaac, throwing out his hand in a lordly manner. ‘If I was a-goin’ to keep single it ’ud come nat’ral enough, but my new missus—Well, ’t is this way. She have got a house of her own, and she’s anxious for me to live over there along o’ her.’
‘I see,’ said Richard, looking rather astonished, however.
‘’Ees, I were agen it at first, but I come round to it arter. So I reckoned to let this here house to somebody—one of the men, p’r’aps; but now has you’ve a-comed back, Richard, my boy, there bain’t nobody I’d like to see livin’ here so much as yourself. My notion ’ud be for you to settle down wi’ a wife to do for you and keep the place tidy, and work this here farm under me. My hands ’ull be pretty full, and I’ll be glad o’ your help. She’s got a biggish place to manage, and I’ll be glad to think as there’s somebody here as I can rely on. Well, what do you say?’
‘What do I say?’ cried Richard, stammering with joy. ‘What can I say? I don’t know how to thank you!’
‘Well,’ said the farmer jovially; ‘and now, what about the missus? ’Ave ’ee got your eye on anyone as ’ud suit?’
‘Why,’ began Richard eagerly; he paused, and then continued laughingly, ‘you must give me a little time, you know. I’ve only been a few days in England.’
‘That’s true. I’m glad to think, my lad, as you don’t want to take a wife from abroad. Nay, don’t ye go travellin’ for a wife. Take my word for ’t, the best is often to be picked up close at hand. Not always, though,’ he continued, reflectively. ‘Poor Elias Fiander—ye mind ’Lias Fiander? He went travellin’ all the way to Dorchester to buy a turmit-hoin’ machine, and it was there, nigh upon eighteen miles off, as he come across his last missus. But you know her,’ he went on with animation—‘aye, now as I call it to mind, you were a-tellin’ me how you drove her back to-day. Ah, sure, so ye did.’