“What put it into your head,” said he, “to take so much interest in the Horse?”
“I don’t know, Sir,” said I, “but somehow I can’t think of any thing else now I have been up there and heard about the battle.” This wasn’t quite true, for I thought more of Miss Lucy, but I couldn’t tell him that.
“When I was curate down here,” said he, “I was bitten with the same maggot. Nothing would serve me but to find out all I could about the Horse. Now, Joe here, who’s fast asleep—”
“No, he bean’t,” said Joe starting, and giving a pull at his pipe, which had gone out.
“Well, then, Joe here, who is wide awake, and the rest, who were born within sight of him, and whose fathers fought at Ashdown, and have helped to scour him ever since, don’t care half so much for him as we strangers do.”
“Oh! I dwon’t allow that, mind you,” said Joe; “I dwon’t know as I cares about your long-tailed words and that; but for keeping the Horse in trim, and as should be, why, I be ready to pay—”
“Never mind how much, Joseph.”
Joe grinned, and put his pipe in his mouth again. I think he liked being interrupted by the Parson.
“As I was saying, I found out all I could about the Horse, though it was little enough, and I shall be very glad to tell you all I know.”