The Parson O' Dumford Part 23

"Bit of a row up at the works. Didn't you know?"

"Bless us and save us, no!" cried Mrs Banks, nearly dropping the teapot, and hurrying to her husband's side. "You're not hurt, Joe?"

"Not a bit, la.s.s. Give us a buss."

Mrs Banks submitted ungraciously to a salute being placed upon her comely cheek, and then, satisfied that no one was hurt, she proceeded to fill up the pot, and resumed her taciturn behaviour.

"Owd woman's a bit popped," said Joe to himself. Then aloud, "Wheer's Daisy?"

"That's what I want to know," said Mrs Banks, tartly. "Wheer's Daisy?

There's no keeping the girl at home now-a-days, gadding about."

"Is she up at the House?" said Joe. "I suppose so," said Mrs Banks; "and, mark my words, Joe, no good 'll come of it. It's your doing, mind."

"Nonsense, nonsense, old woman. What's put you out? Come, let's have some supper; I'm 'bout pined."

"Then begin," said Mrs Banks. "Not wi'out you, my la.s.s," said Joe, winking at the great broad-faced clock, as much as to say, "That'll bring her round."

"I don't want any supper," said Mrs Banks. "More don't I, then," said Joe, with a sigh; and he got up, took off his coat, and then began to unlace his stout boots.

"Bless and save the man! wheer are you going?" exclaimed Mrs Banks.

"Bed," said Joe, shortly. "Tired out."

"What's the use o' me having sausages cooked and hot ready for you if you go on that a way, Joe?"

"I can't eat sausages wi'out a smile wi' 'em for gravy," said Joe, quietly, "and some one to eat one too."

"There, sit down," said Mrs Banks, pushing her lord roughly into his well polished Windsor chair. "I don't know what's come to the man."

"Come home straange and hungry," said Joe, smiling; and the next minute, on Mrs Banks producing a steaming dish of home-made sausages from the oven, Joe began a tremendous onslaught upon them, after helping his wife, and putting a couple of the best on a plate.

"Just put them i' the oven to keep hot for Daisy, wilt ta, my la.s.s?"

said Joe.

"She won't want any supper," said Mrs Banks, tartly, but she placed the plate in the oven all the same, and after pouring out some tea, set the teapot on the hob.

"But she may, my la.s.s, she may," said Joe. "Now, tell us what's wrong,"

he continued, with his mouth full, after pouring a large steaming cup of tea down his capacious throat.

"Tom Podmore's been here," said Mrs Banks. "Only just gone. Didn't you meet him?"

"No," said Joe. "Didn't he say nowt about the row?"

"Not a word," said Mrs Banks, looking up. "Was he in it?"

"Just was," said Joe. "Saved me and the Maister from being knocked to pieces a'most. He's a good plucky chap, is Tom."

"Yes, and nicely he gets treated for it," said Mrs Banks, hotly.

"Who treats him nicely?" said Joe, with half a slice of bread and b.u.t.ter disappearing.

"You--Daisy--everybody."

"Self included, my la.s.s!" said Joe. "He allus was a favourite of yours."

"Favourite, indeed!" said Mrs Banks. "Joe, mark my words--It'll come home to Daisy for jilting him as she's done; and, as I told him to-night, he's a great stupid ghipes to mind anything about the wicked, deceitful girl."

"Here, have some more sausage, mother; it's splendid; and don't get running down your own flesh and blood."

"Own flesh and blood!" cried Mrs Banks. "I'm ashamed of her."

"No, you're not, la.s.s," said Joe, with a broad grin. "Thou'rt as proud of her as a she peac.o.c.k wi' two tails. Now, lookye here, la.s.s; you've took quite on that Daisy should have Tom. Well, he's a decent young fellow enew, and if she'd liked him I should ha' said nowt against it, but then she didn't."

"She don't know her own mind," said Mrs Banks.

"Oh yes, she do," said Joe, smiling, "quite well; and so does some one else. The Missus has fun' it out."

"Mrs Glaire?"

"Yes, the Missus. She sent for me to-day to speak to me about it."

"What, about her boy coming after our Daisy?"

"About Mr Richard Glaire, maister o' Doomford Foundry, taking a fancy to, and having matrimonial projects with regard to his foreman's daughter," said Joe, pompously.

"Well!" exclaimed Mrs Banks, eagerly; "and does she like it?"

"Well--er--er--er--she's about for and again it," said Joe, slowly.

"Now that won't do, Joe," exclaimed Mrs Banks. "You can't deceive me, and I'm not going to be put aside in that way. I know as well as if I'd ha' been theer that she said she didn't like."

"Well, what does it matter about what the women think? d.i.c.k--I mean Maister Richard Glaire's hard after her."

"And means to marry her?" said Mrs Banks.

"Marry her? Of course. Didn't Baxter, of Churley, marry Jane Kemp?

Didn't Bill Bradby, as was wuth fifty thousand, marry Polly Robinson of Toddlethorpe, and make a real lady of her, and she wasn't fit to stand within ten yards o' my Daisy."

"Yes, go on," said Mrs Banks. "That's your pride."

"Pride be blowed, it's only a difference in money. Richard Glaire's only my old fellow-workman's son, and Daisy's my daughter, and I can buy her as many silk frocks, and as many watches, and chains, and rings as any lady in the land need have," said Joe, angrily, as he slapped his pocket. "I ain't gone on saving for twenty years for nowt. She shan't disgrace him when they're married."

"Yes, Joe, that's your pride," said Mrs Banks.

"Go it," said Joe, angrily, "tant away--tant--tant--tant. I don't keer."

"It's your pride, that's what it is. When she might marry a decent, honest, true-hearted lad like Tom, who's worth fifty Richard Glaires--an insignificant, stuck-up dandy."