there's
always something fresh with the dairy; for even in the depths o' winter
there's some pleasure in conquering the butter, and making it come
whether or no. My dear," added Priscilla, pressing her sister's hand
affectionately as they walked side by side, "you'll never be low when
you've got a dairy."

"Ah, Priscilla," said Nancy, returning the pressure with a grateful
glance of her clear eyes, "but it won't make up to Godfrey: a dairy's
not so much to a man. And it's only what he cares for that ever makes
me low. I'm contented with the blessings we have, if he could be
contented."

"It drives me past patience," said Priscilla, impetuously, "that way o'
the men--always wanting and wanting, and never easy with what they've
got: they can't sit comfortable in their chairs when they've neither
ache nor pain, but either they must stick a pipe in their mouths, to
make 'em better than well, or else they must be swallowing something
strong, though they're forced to make haste before the next meal comes
in. But joyful be it spoken, our father was never that sort o' man.
And if it had pleased God to make you ugly, like me, so as the men
wouldn't ha' run after you, we might have kept to our own family, and
had nothing to do with folks as have got uneasy blood in their veins."

"Oh, don't say so, Priscilla," said Nancy, repenting that she had
called forth this outburst; "nobody has any occasion to find fault with
Godfrey. It's natural he should be disappointed at not having any
children: every man likes to have somebody to work for and lay by for,
and he always counted so on making a fuss with 'em when they were
little. There's many another man 'ud hanker more than he does. He's
the best of husbands."

"Oh, I know," said Priscilla, smiling sarcastically, "I know the way o'
wives; they set one on to abuse their husbands, and then they turn
round on one and praise 'em as if they wanted to sell 'em. But
father'll be waiting for me; we must turn now."

The large gig with the steady old grey was at the front door, and Mr.
Lammeter was already on the stone steps, passing the time in recalling
to Godfrey what very fine points Speckle had when his master used to
ride him.

"I always _would_ have a good horse, you know," said the old gentleman,
not liking that spirited time to be quite effaced from the memory of
his juniors.

"Mind you bring Nancy to the Warrens before the week's out, Mr. Cass,"
was Priscilla's parting