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Robbins stared at him, vacantly at first, then with a growing sense of indignation as he began dimly to understand the nature of the proposal.

“I don’t agree, master,” he said, after a moment’s pause. “Nay, that I don’t. I never axed no help, an’ I’m not a-goin’ to divide no wage. Twelve shillin’ a week is what I did agree for, an’ I’ve a-had it for twenty year an’ more. I can’t do with no less now nor I did then.”

“Well, but,” argued the farmer, “’tis this way, ye see, I can’t afford to be at a loss. I’ve a-stood it as long as I could, shepherd, but I can’t noways let things go wrong this season same as last; I can’t truly. Ye mustn’t be onreasonable. Why, look ’ee—d’ye know any man o’ your years in these parts as gets twelve shillin’ a week? It’s the natur’ o’ things as when they can’t do the full day’s work they can’t have the full day’s pay. Look at Adam Blanchard and Eddard Boyt yon. When they began to falter they made up their minds to it and went back to eight shillin’ a week same as their grandsons do get.”