TWO:Margaret then threw herself at the feet of Edith, and besought her, in the most earnest and pathetic manner, to take refuge at Hailes Abbey, in which she was seconded by Holgrave. The old woman remained silent; but there was a brightnessa glistening in her eyes as if a tear had started;but if a tear did start, it did not fall. At length, recovering her composure, she rose firmly from her seat
TWO:"Well, and I reckon they wurn't much loss, nuther"the caustic was healing after all"Robert wur a fool wot didn't know how to steal a ten-pound note, Albert wur always mooning and wasting his time, and George wur a pore thing not worth his keep. As for Richardthat Richardwho wants a stuck-up, dentical, high-nosed, genteel swell about the pl?ace? I reckon as I'm well shut of the whole four of 'em. They wurn't worth the food they ate, surelye!"
TWO:"Malmsey! and in a villein's cottage," replied Holgrave, bitterly. "No, no; but here is a small flask of sack which a neighbour brought to my wife: she will little grudge it to a man in your plight.""Well, do you want to marry me?"
TWO:Though Reuben's corn had not done much for him materially, it had far-reaching consequences of another kind. It immensely increased his status in the county. Odiam had more land under grain cultivation than any farm east of Lewes, and the local Tories saw in [Pg 434]Backfield a likely advocate of Tariff Reform. He was approached by the Rye Conservative Club, and invited to speak at one or two of their meetings. He turned out to be, as they had expected, an ardent champion of the new idea. "It wur wot he had worked and hoped and prayed fur all his lifeto git back them Corn Laws." He was requested not to put the subject quite so bluntly.