"Thank you, Mr. Cowslip," said Winthrop, returning the grasp of the hand.
"I don't see but you keep your own," the old man went on, looking at him wistfully. "Why don't you come up our way oftener? It wouldn't hurt you."
"I don't know about that," said Winthrop. "My business lies that way, you know."
"Ah! — 'tain't as good business as our'n, now," said Mr. Cowslip. "You'd better by half be up there on the old place, with your wife and half a dozen children about you. Ain't married yet, Governor, be you?"
"No sir."
"Goin' to be?"
"I don't know what I am going to be, sir."
"Ah! —" said the old miller with a sly smile. "Is that what you've got here in the sloop with you now? I guessed it, and Hild' said it wa'n't — not as he knowed on — but I told him he didn't know everything."
"Hild' is quite right. But there are two ladies here who are going up to Shahweetah. Can you give us a boat, Mr. Cowslip?"
"A boat? — How many of you?"