Afterwards he felt better, but he was still fuming when he came to Odiam, and dashed up straight to Rose's bedroom, where she lay with the ten-days-old David and a female friend from Rye, who had come in to hear details about her confinement. Both, not to say all three, were startled by Reuben's sudden entrance, crimson and hatless, his collar flying, the dust all over him.
"Here! Wot d'you think?" he shouted; "if that old man äun't left all his money to a bastard."
"Don't be so excited, Ben," said Rose; "you've no business to come bursting in here like this."
"Remember your wife's delicate," said the lady friend.
"Well, wot I want to know is why you dudn't tell me all this afore."
"How could I? I didn't know how uncle was going to leave his money."
"You might have found out, and not let me in fur all this. Here I've bin and gone and spent all your settlements on a milk-round, which I'd never have done if I hadn't thought summat more 'ud be coming in later."
"Well, I can't help it. I expect that as uncle knew I was well provided for, married and settled and all that, he thought he'd rather leave his stuff to someone who wasn't."
"I like that—and you the most expensive woman to keep as ever was.
"Hold your tongue, Ben. I'm surprised at you."