The anthem went limping
without you. Are you going to disgrace your schoolmaster in his old
age?"
"No, Mr. Massey," said Adam. "Mr. and Mrs. Poyser can tell you where I
was. I was in no bad company."
"She's gone, Adam--gone to Snowfield," said Mr. Poyser, reminded of
Dinah for the first time this evening. "I thought you'd ha' persuaded
her better. Nought 'ud hold her, but she must go yesterday forenoon. The
missis has hardly got over it. I thought she'd ha' no sperrit for th'
harvest supper."
Mrs. Poyser had thought of Dinah several times since Adam had come in,
but she had had "no heart" to mention the bad news.
"What!" said Bartle, with an air of disgust. "Was there a woman
concerned? Then I give you up, Adam."
"But it's a woman you'n spoke well on, Bartle," said Mr. Poyser. "Come
now, you canna draw back; you said once as women wouldna ha' been a bad
invention if they'd all been like Dinah."
"I meant her voice, man--I meant her voice, that was all," said Bartle.
"I can bear to hear her speak without wanting to put wool in my ears. As
for other things, I daresay she's like the rest o' the women--thinks
two and two 'll come to make five, if she cries and bothers enough about
it."
"Aye, aye!" said Mrs.
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