“Well, you mustn’t think on it,” returned Mrs. Joyce decidedly. “We couldn’t do without you. See—’tis all a bit o’ temper, bain’t it? You never truly meant to give notice?”
“I did, missus; I did,” sobbed the old man. “It bain’t temper neither, it—it be the notion, I think.”
“Yes, that’s all it be, sure,” said Mrs. Joyce, not in the least knowing what he meant, but speaking in soothing tones and patting his arm kindly; “’tis but a notion, Abel. Eight shillin’ bain’t so bad, you know—come. You’ll never want so long as you ’arn eight shillin’ a week—eight shillin’ a week ’ll keep you, wunt it?”
“Ay, it’ll keep me, missus—it bain’t that. But I do ’low it’ll be main hard to go up on pay-day wi’ ’em all, an’ take laiss nor any of ’em—me that has always took the most. They’ll all be castin’ eyes at me an’ talkin’ small o’ me. They’ll be sayin’, ‘Shepherd be takin’ bwoy’s wage. He bain’t worth his salt now, shepherd bain’t.’ It’s the notion o’ that, missus, as I can’t stand—nohow.”
“Oh, that’s what it be,” returned his mistress thoughtfully.
The excitement which rendered Robbins so unusually garrulous had flushed his cheeks and given light to his eyes. The woman’s heart was touched as she looked at him.
“Ay, ma’am, an’ another thing—the lad as I be to have help me, he’ll be a cheeky un very like—the ruck o’ lads be. He’ll think himself as good as me—better mayhap. He’ll be gettin’ same money as me, ye know. What’ll he think o’ me at my time o’ life? Adam Blanchard and Eddard Boyt they be gettin’ same as their grandsons I d’ ’low, but there! the boys be their grandsons, an’ if they don’t treat ’em respectful-like they can give ’em the stick.”
Mrs. Joyce was silent for a moment, her brows were knit and her lips compressed; she seemed to be turning over a problem in her mind. Suddenly her face lit up.
“Abel,” she said, “I’m o’ your mind arter all. I think instead o’ your master cuttin’ off your wages he ought to raise you. You ought to have some reward for your long years of faithful service. In my opinion your master ought to raise you to sixteen shillin’.”
Shepherd Robbins looked as though he scarcely heard aright.