“Don’t say I told you,” said the pale boy, as though he were afraid of communicating some tremendous secret.
“Noa, thee bean’t told I. Now, lookee ’ere, Mr. Jigger, come down when thee like; I shall be rare and prood to see thee, and so’ll Missus.”
“Thanks,” said Horatio; “I’ll be sure and come. Mither woy!”
“Ha! mither woy, lad! that’s ur; thee got un. Good-bye.”
CHAPTER XXXI.
Mr. Bumpkin at home again.
How peaceful the farm seemed after all the turmoil and worry that Farmer Bumpkin had been subjected to in London! What a haven of rest is a peaceful Home! How the ducks seemed to quack!—louder, as Mr. Bumpkin thought, than they ever did before. The little flock of sheep looked up as he went, with his old ash stick under his arm, to look round the farm. They seemed to say to one another, “Why, here’s Master; I told you he’d come back.” And the cows turned their heads and bellowed a loud welcome. They knew nothing of his troubles, and only expressed their extreme pleasure at seeing him again. They left off eating the whole time he was with them; for they were very well bred Shorthorns and Alderneys. It was quite pleasant to see how well behaved they all were. And Mrs. Bumpkin pointed out which ones had calved and which were expected to calve in the course of a few months. And then the majestic bull looked up with an expression of immense delight; came up to Mr. Bumpkin and put his nose in his master’s hand, and gazed as only a bull would gaze on a farmer who had spent several weeks in London. It was astonishing with what admiration the bull regarded him; and he seemed quite delighted as Mrs. Bumpkin told her husband of the bull’s good conduct in his absence; how he had never broken bounds once,
and had behaved himself as an exemplary bull on all occasions.
“But,” said Mrs. Bumpkin, “I be ’bliged to say, Tom, that there Mrs. Snooks have belied him shamefully. She haven’t got a good word to say for un; nor, for the matter o’ that, for anything on the farm.”
“Never mind,” said Mr. Bumpkin; “he bean’t the only one as ’ave been slandered hereabouts.”