Page:Between Two Loves.djvu/188

Rh. He told of her courtship by Squire Aske, of his pride in the connection, and of the handsome settlement he had made on the bride. He did not entirely justify Eleanor in the matrimonial disputes which had followed her marriage, but he excused her largely because of her youth and high spirit, and because also of her nascent jealousy of Jane Bashpoole. Then, with kindling anger, he described her return home, the stand he had taken in the quarrel, and Aske's quiet, persistent, iniquitous revenge.

Before he had done, the elder man was on fire. He had put his pipe down, and with his arms laid across the table, was listening with ill-suppressed passion to Jonathan. "My word!" he cried, when the story was finished—"my word! but we'll give 'em enough of it! I like t' little lass for heving such a spirit I'd like to thresh Aske for putting a finger on her. If I was nobbut a young man I'd do it. But I hevn't done with them. I can meet him with t' English law, and thou ask Matthew Rhodes what he thinks of fighting Jonas Shuttleworth that way. But I'll tell thee, Jonathan, what I am going to do in t' morning. We have