“Then I’ll tell you what,” said he; “Don’t you go writing to her at all, and I’ll bring her up with me for Christmas cattle-show, and you can get us lodgings, and show us some of the sights. You can have it all out with her before we come home, and I shall be by to see all fair.”
“No, no, Joe, I couldn’t say a word with you by.”
“I didn’t mean that I was to be in the room, you know, only if any thing goes wrong—you understand,” said Joe, looking round, and nodding at me with a solemn face.
“Yes, I see,” said I; “but somebody else—one of the young farmers now, that I saw on the hill, may be stepping in before Christmas.”
“Not they. It’s busy times with us these next two months. Besides, I’ll look after that. Is it a bargain, then?”
“Yes,” said I, “only mind, Joe, that you look sharp meantime.”
“All right,” said he; and then fell to looking into the fire again; and I sat thinking too, and wondering at my luck, which I could hardly believe in yet.
“And now about the pot,” said Joe; “suppose Lu says yes, what have you got to keep the pot boiling?”
Then I told him what my salary was, and what I had saved, and where I had put it out, and he nodded away, and seemed very well satisfied.