Page:Between Two Loves.djvu/37

32 box, he was not thinking of their contents. But as Ben Holden entered the room, he turned slowly, and said, "Sagar is a brute to his beasts, Ben, I'll not hev good cattle sworn at and struck for nothing in my yard; thou tell him I said so."

"Ay, I will. He's a big bully. If t' poor brutes could talk back to him, he'd treat 'em better. He's got a mite of a woman for a wife, but, my word, he daren't oppen his lips to her."

"Howiver does she manage him? I'd like to know."

"Why, thou sees, she's got some brains, and Sagar, he's only so many pounds avoirdupois of flesh and blood. It's mind ruling matter, that's all. Thou doesn't look like thysen to-day. Is there anything wrong with thee?"

"There is summat varry wrong, I can tell thee that."

"Is it owt I can help thee in?"

"Thou hes helped me through many a trouble, Ben, but this one is a bit above thy help. It is about my daughter. She and Aske hev got to plain up-and-down quarreling, and she came with her sorrow to me last night. My poor lass! She has no mother, thou sees,