"Nay, 'twas nothing," he said, shamefacedly.
"Nothing? Nay, that I will not believe. I should not wonder now if it were about some little wench. What? Nay, I'll swear it now! 'Twas about the little wench that has come to live at the Vicarage—what's her name?—Minnie, or Winnie?"
"'Twas not, then, Judith," said he. "If you must know, I will tell you; I had liefer say naught about it. But 'twas not the first time he had said so—before all of them—that my uncle was no better than an idle player, that ought to be put in the stocks and whipped."
"Why, now," said she, "to think that the poor lad's nose should be set a-bleeding for nothing more than that!"
"It had been said more than once, Cousin Judith; 'twas time it should end," said he, simply.
At this moment Master Leofric Hope called to him.
"Come hither, my lad," said he. "I would hear how you get on at school."
The small lad turned and regarded him, but did not budge. His demeanor was entirely changed. With Judith he was invariably gentle, submissive, abashed: now, as he looked at the stranger, he seemed to resent the summons.
"Come hither, my lad."
"Thank you, no, sir," he said; "I would as lief be here."