Читать книгу Pastorals of Dorset онлайн

23 страница из 43

“Ay, ma’am, an’ another thing—the lad as I be to have help me, he’ll be a cheeky un very like—the ruck o’ lads be. He’ll think himself as good as me—better mayhap. He’ll be gettin’ same money as me, ye know. What’ll he think o’ me at my time o’ life? Adam Blanchard and Eddard Boyt they be gettin’ same as their grandsons I d’ ’low, but there! the boys be their grandsons, an’ if they don’t treat ’em respectful-like they can give ’em the stick.”

Mrs. Joyce was silent for a moment, her brows were knit and her lips compressed; she seemed to be turning over a problem in her mind. Suddenly her face lit up.

“Abel,” she said, “I’m o’ your mind arter all. I think instead o’ your master cuttin’ off your wages he ought to raise you. You ought to have some reward for your long years of faithful service. In my opinion your master ought to raise you to sixteen shillin’.”

Shepherd Robbins looked as though he scarcely heard aright.

“Why, missus!” he exclaimed, and paused overcome.

“Yes; if master raises you, nobody couldn’t vex you, an’ yet nobody couldn’t find aught amiss. The master ’ud tell ’em all ’twas but nat’ral after ye bein’ wi’ us so long an’ so punished wi’ rheumatics. It’s time he should do something more for ’ee. An’ so, he’d say, he’s goin’ to raise you an’ you be goin’ to keep a lad.”