“He’s in labour, as you may put it,” he whispered confidentially to his neighbour; “and mun hev his time.”
Whether or no this remark helped to speedy parturition may not be easily determined; but at any rate Swithin was at that moment delivered; and after looking round to make sure that he had the ears of all present said, in the formal voice of a constable who is giving evidence on oath—
“It was t’ards midnight, or mebbe a piece after, ’at I turned out o’ t’ shippen i’ t’ long close to straighten my back and get a breath o’ air. Crumple wor late wi’ her cawving, and I dursn’t leave her for more’n a minute or two at a time; but straighten my back I felt I must, and so stood at t’ door.
“It wor black as coal, an’ a gale o’ wind blowing fit to shift t’ shippen into t’ beck, but I reckoned nowt o’ that so long as t’ snaw held off; and wor just about to turn in again when a heap o’ stones came tumbling down off o’ t’ wall not five yards away.
“ ‘That’s nowt!’ ye’ll say; ‘a strong breeze’ll oft fetch a dry wall down’, and that I’ll take tul; but a strong breeze doesn’t say ‘Damn it!’—no, not t’ strongest breeze ’at ’ivver blew over Mawm!”
He paused, whilst his eyes slowly swept the company to see what effect this communication had produced, but when two or three voices broke in with questions he raised his hand in deprecation and continued—
“Not knowing who it mud be ’at was prowling round t’ shippen at that time o’ night I stepped inside for a fork; but I nayther saw nor heard naught no more though I searched round wi’ t’ lantern. A piece after, Crumple’s time come, and I’d summat else to do nor think o’ boggarts.”
Nobody spoke, though there was now ample opportunity, and when Albert had replenished his pot Swithin fixed his eyes on Ambrose and said—
“Now if any man among t’ lot of ye can put two and two together, ye’re welcome; but I call it two and a nowt.”
“There’s nob’dy i’ this neighbourhood, Swith’n,” returned the old man, “but what’s as well-known to ye as soil to t’ sexton—are ye tellin’ us ’at ye couldn’t reckernize t’ voice?”