STEVE. I reckon "twould be so--so "twould. But come you in and give yourself a warm; and Mother, what do you say to getting us a gla.s.s of cider all round afore we sets out to the dancing.
JANE. What do you want to be taking drinks here for, when "tis free as you"ll get them up at the school?
STEVE. Just a drop for to warm we through. Here, I"ll fetch it right away.
JANE. No, you don"t. I"ll have no one meddling in the pantry save it"s myself. Dorry, give me that there jug.
DORRY. [Taking a jug from the dresser.] Here "tis, Gran"ma, shall I light the candle?
JANE. So long as you"ll hold the matches careful.
ANNIE. Well--"tis to be hoped as the weather"ll change afore morning.
ROSE. We shall want a bit of sunshine for the bride.
GEORGE. That us shall, but it don"t look much as though we should get it.
[JANE BROWNING and DORRY go out of the room.
STEVE. Sit you down, George, along of we. "Tis right pleased as I be for to see you here to-night.
GEORGE. Well, Steve, I bain"t one for a lot of words but I be powerful glad to see you look as you does, and "tis all joy as I wishes you and her what"s to be your wife, to-morrow.
ANNIE. Thank you kindly, Mr. Davis. I shall do my best for Steve, and a girl can"t do no more, can she?
ROSE. And so you"re going to church along of Steve, Mr. Davis?
GEORGE. "Tis as Steve do wish, but I be summat after a cow what has broke into the flower gardens, places where there be many folk got together and I among they.
ROSE. O, come, Mr. Davis!
GEORGE. "Tis with me as though t"were all hoof and horn as I was made of. But Steve, he be more used to mixing up with the quality folks and such things, and he do know better nor I how to carry his self in parts when the ground be thick on them.
ANNIE. Very likely "tis a-shewing of them into their places of a Sunday and a-ringing of the bell and a-helping of the vicar along with the service, like, as has made Steve so easy.
ROSIE. But, bless you, Mr. Davis, you sees a good bit of the gentry, too, in your way, when you goes in to houses, as it might be the Squire"s for to put up a shelf, or mend a window, and I don"t know what.
GEORGE. Ah, them caddling sort of jobs don"t much agree with I, Miss Rose. And when I gets inside one of they great houses, where the maids do pad about in boots what you can"t hear, and do speak as though "twere church and parson at his sermon, I can"t think of naught but how "twill feel for to be out in the open again. Why, bless you, I do scarce fetch my breath in one of they places from fear as there should be too much sound to it, and the noise of my own hammer do very near scare I into fits.
ROSE. Well, Mr. Davis, who would ever have thought it?
[MRS. BROWNING and DORRY come back and the cider is put upon the table, DORRY and ANNIE getting gla.s.ses from the dresser.
GEORGE. [Drinking.] Your health, Steve, and yours, too, Miss Sims.
And many years of happiness to you both.
STEVE. Thank you kindly, George.
ANNIE. Thank you, Mr. Davis.
DORRY. Hasn"t Miss Sims got a nice frock on her for the dance, Mr.
Davis?
GEORGE. Well, I"m blessed if I"d taken no notice of it, Dorry.
DORRY. Why, you"re worse nor Dad, I do declare! But you just look at Rosie, now, Mr. Davis, and ask her what she"s got wrapped up in that there paper in her hand.
ROSE. O, Dorry, you little tease, you!
DORRY. You just ask her, Mr. Davis.
ROSE. [Undoing the parcel.] There, "tis nothing to make such a commotion of! Just a flower--see, Mr. Davis? I knowed as it was one what you was partial to, and so I just brought it along with me.
GEORGE. That there bain"t for I, be it?
ROSE. Indeed "tis--if so as you"ll accept of it.
GEORGE. O, "tis best saved against to-morrow. The freshness will be most gone from it, if I was to wear it now.
DORRY. No, no, Mr. Davis, "tis for now! To wear at the dance. Put it on him, Rosie, put it on him.
ROSE. [Tossing the flower across the table to GEORGE.] He can put it on hisself well enough, Dorry.
GEORGE. [After a moment"s hesitation.] I don"t know so well about that.
ANNIE. Go on, Rosie--pin it into his coat. Come, "tis getting late.
DORRY. O, pin it in quick, Rosie--come along--and then we can start to the dancing.
ROSE. Shall I, Mr. Davis?
[GEORGE gets up and crosses the room; ROSE takes the flower and DORRY hands her a pin. She slowly pins the flower in his coat.
STEVE. [Stretching out his hand to ANNIE.] You be so quiet like to- night, Annie. There isn"t nothing wrong, is there, my dear?
ANNIE. "Tis only I"m that full of gladness, Steve, as I don"t seem to find words to my tongue for the things what I can talk on most days.
STEVE. And that"s how "tis with I, too, Annie. "Tis as though I was out in the meadows, like--And as though "twere Sunday, and such a stillness all around that I might think "twas only me as was upon the earth. But then summat stirs in me sudden and I knows that you be there, too, and "tis my love for you what has put me right away from the rest of them.
ANNIE. Steve, you"ve had a poor, rough time, I know, but I"ll do my best for to smooth it like for you, I will.
STEVE. See here, Annie--I be comed out of the rain and into the sun once more.
DORRY. [Leading GEORGE forward.] See how fine Mr. Davis do look-- see, isn"t he grand? O, Miss Sims, see how nice the flower do look what Rosie has pinned in his coat! See, Gran"ma.
JANE. I"ve enough to do putting away all these gla.s.ses which have been messed up. What I wants to know is when I shall get off to bed this night, seeing as "tis late already and you none of you gone off yet.
DORRY. O, let us be off, let us be off--and what am I to put over my dress, Gran"ma, so as the snow shan"t get to it?