And then he was scared at the
wholesale loss of so large a sum to his mother.
"Never fear, lad," honest Tugwell replied, for the young man's face was
fair to read; "we'll not take a farden of thy hard airnings, not a brass
farden, so help me Bob! Gentlefolks has so much call for money, as none
of us know nothing of. And thou hast helped to save all the lot of us
from Frenchies, and been the most forwardest, as I hear tell. But if us
could 'a got 50 pounds out of Government, why so much more for us, and
none the less for they. But a Englishman must do his duty, in reason,
and when 'a don't hurt his self by the same. There's a change in
the weather, as forbids more sport. You shall have the Blunder off
to-morrow, lad. Wouldn't do to be too sudden like."
"I fear I am very stupid, Master Tugwell. But I don't see how you can
manage it so surely, after labouring nine days all in vain."
Zebedee hesitated half a moment, betwixt discretion and the pride of
knowledge. Then the latter vanquished and relieved his mind.
"I trust in your honour, sir, of course, to keep me clear. I might have
brought 'e off the Pig, first day, or second to the latest, if it were
sound business. But with winter time coming, and the week's fishing
lost, our duty to our families and this place was to pull 'e on harder,
sir, to pull 'e aground firmer; and with the help of the Lord we have
a-doed it well. We wasn't a-going to kill the goose as laid the golden
eggs.
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