“He be a blagard if ur says I owed un money.”
“O, dear, Mr. Bumpkin, pray don’t misunderstand me; he did not, that I am aware, allege that he took the pig because you owed him money; and even if you did, he could not legally have done so. Now this is not a mere matter of debt; it’s a very serious case of trespass.”
“Ay; zo ’t be sir; that was my bleef, might jist as wull a tooked baacon out o’ baacon loft.”
“Just the same. Quite so—quite so!”
“And I want thee, Mr. Prigg, to mak un pay for’t—mak un pay, sir; it beant so much th’ pig.”
“Quite so: quite so: that were a very trifling affair, and might be settled in the County Court; but, in fact, it’s not the pig at all, it’s trespass, and you want to make him answerable in damages.”
“That’s it, sir; you’ve got un.”
“I suppose an apology and a return of the pig would not be enough.”
“I’ll make un know he beant everybody,” said Bumpkin.
“Quite so; now what shall we lay the damages at?”