I hope that will
be considered, Miss. Seventy years, our fathers before us, have we
been on the 'state, and nothing ever sworn agin us. I hope that will
be considered, Miss. I am sure if Tom had been an underkeeper, as Mr.
Roberts once talked of, this would never have happened. I hope that will
be considered, Miss. We are in great trouble surely. Tom, you see, was
our first, Miss.'
'I never interfere about poaching, you know, Mrs. Jones. Mr. Dacre is
the best judge of such matters. But you can go to him, and say that I
sent you. I am afraid, however, that he has heard of Tom before.'
'Only that night at Milwood, Miss; and then you see he had been drinking
with Squire Ridge's people. I hope that will be considered, Miss.'
'Well, well, go up to the Castle.'
'Pray be seated, Miss,' said a neat-looking mistress of a neat little
farmhouse. 'Pray be seated, sir. Let me dust it first. Dust will get
everywhere, do what we can. And how's Pa, Miss? He has not given me
a look-in for many a day, not since he was a-hunting: bless me, if it
ayn't a fortnight. This day fortnight he tasted our ale, sure enough.
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