mary daccombe was wont to reserve the problems of the working day until nightfall; and her husband solved them as best he could during those brief minutes that intervened between the extinction of the candle and his first snore. an honest but unsentimental man, love for his offspring had never particularly marked his mind. he was contented that his sons should quarrel, and that dick should thrash davey when he felt so disposed, for it saved him the trouble. he held that each did the other good, and he had neither pity nor particular regard to spare for either.
this cheerless fact now appeared, for on a night soon after christmas, mrs. daccombe approached her husband upon a matter of sentiment, and won colder comfort from him than she expected. he gave her an obvious opportunity to approach the subject, otherwise it is doubtful whether she would have had the courage to do so. that day, to the farmer’s astonishment and gratification, anthony maybridge had come back from a brief christmas vacation. the holiday extended over a fortnight, and daccombe fully believed that he had seen the p. 232last of his pupil; but anthony returned, declared a renewed interest in matters agricultural, and gave the farmer to understand that he should continue to reside at cross ways for the present.
now jonathan laughed as he stretched himself on his bed; he laughed, and wondered what had brought young maybridge again to the moor. whereupon his wife read him the riddle.
“not you, nor yet the work, nor yet the shooting,” she said. “’tis right as you should know, however, for trouble’s brewing, if i can see, an’ ’tis our awn son will smart for it.”
“us have all got to smart off an’ on, though how that moon-calf of a boy be going to hurt dick or davey, i can’t tell.”
“not davey, though ’twas him as found it out, i reckon. davey be venomous against his brother—always was, worse luck. dick rubs it into the bwoy, and his brother hurts him with bitter mouth-speech when he can. ’tis this way: that young gen’leman be getting a deal too fond of jane stanberry by the looks of it. that’s what he’s comed back for, i reckon. davey spat it out essterday when dick clouted his head. her wasn’t theer, so the boy up an’ said as dick’s temper would weary the dowl, an’ that jane was looking away from him to a better. lucky i was by, else dick would have done the li’l un a mischief. he growed thunder-black, yet p. 233i could see by his wrath be knowed the tale were more than davey’s spite.”
“them two takes after your family, mother, an’ no mistake. yet i hope they won’t turn gaol-birds, or else weak in their intellects.”
the woman felt the tears in her weary eyes. she wiped them away, and turned in bed.
“they’m as god made ’em, master; please him they’ll be better friends come davey grows up. but what must us do?”
“do? nought.”
“surely you’ve got your son’s good at heart? think what ’tis for dick to see that wicked girl coolin’, coolin’, by inches. gall for him, poor dear.”
but the man only laughed sleepily. “strongest wins in this world. if richard ban’t stout enough to keep his woman by his own arts, us can’t help him.”
“you might send this young chap ’bout his business.”
“an’ fling away two pound a week? no, fay! girls is easier picked up than two pound a week. let dick do what’s in him. he ban’t ’feard of that slack-twisted, yellow-haired chap, be he? let him show the maiden which is the better man, an’ not come bleating to his mother, like a hungry lamb to a ewe.”
“he never comed hisself.”
p. 234“well, what’s to hinder him from using his fistes? nought brings a man down in a girl’s eyes like a good hiding. let ’em settle it same way as the tomcats do.”
“i do b’lieve your heart be made o’ moor stone.”
“good job if ’twas. ban’t no use being built o’ putty, nor yet o’ pity, ’pon dartymoor. now shut your clack, an’ let me go to sleep.”
the woman sighed, and closed her eyes.
“i’ll tell dick what you say. good night, master.”
