Page:Life's little ironies (1894).pdf/81

“What's in it?” said Joshua.

“A drop of weak gin-and-water. It won’t hurt ye. Drink from the bottle.” Joshua did so, and his father pushed up the bottom of the vessel eo as to make him swallow a good deal in spite of himself. It went down into his stomach like molten lead.

"Ha, ha, that’s right!” said old Halborough. “ But'twas raw spirit—ha, ha!”

“Why should you take me in so!” said Joshua, losing hia self-command, try as he would to keep calm.

"Because you took me in, my lad, in banishing me to that cursed country under pretence that it was for my good, You were a pair of hypocrites to say so. It was done to get rid of me—no more nor less. But, by Jerry, Pm a match for ye now! I’ll spoil your souls for preaching, My daughter is going to be married te the squire here. I’ve heard the news—I saw it in a paper !”

“It is premature—”

“I know it is true; and I’m ber father, and I shall give her away, or there’ll be a hell of a row, I can assure ye! Is that where the gennleman lives?”

Joshua Halborough writhed in impotent despair. Fellmer had not yet positively declared himself, his mother was hardly won round; a scene with their father in the parish would demolish as fair a palace of hopes as was ever builded. The millwright rose. “If that’s where the squire lives [’m going to call. Just arrived from Canady with her fortune—ha, ha! I wish no harm to the gennleman, and the gennleman will wish no harm to me. But I like to take my place in the family, and stand upon my rights, and lower people’s pride !”

“You've succeeded already! Where's that woman you took with you—-”

“Woman! She was my wife aa lawful as the Con-