'Who cares for all Bungay,--a set of beery chaps as knows nothing but swilling and smoking;--and John Crumb the main of 'em all? There never was a chap for beer like John Crumb.'
'Never saw him the worse o' liquor in all my life.' And the old farmer, as he gave this grand assurance, rattled his fist down upon the table.
'It ony just makes him stoopider and stoopider the more he swills. You can't tell me, grandfather, about John Crumb, I knows him.'
'Didn't ye say as how ye'd have him? Didn't ye give him a promise?'
'If I did, I ain't the first girl as has gone back of her word,--and I shan't be the last.'
'You means you won't have him?'
'That's about it, grandfather.'
'Then you'll have to have somebody to fend for ye, and that pretty sharp,--for you won't have me.'
'There ain't no difficulty about that, grandfather.'
'Very well. He's a coming here to-night, and you may settle it along wi' him. Out o' this ye shall go. I know of your doings.'
'What doings! You don't know of no doings. There ain't no doings. You don't know nothing ag'in me.'
'He's a coming here to-night, and if you can make it up wi' him, well and good. There's five hun'erd pound, and ye shall have the dinner and dance and all Bungay. He ain't a going to be put off no longer;--he ain't.'
'Whoever wanted him to be put on? Let him go his own gait.'
'If you can't make it up wi' him--'
'Well, grandfather, I shan't anyways.'
'Let me have my say, will ye, yer jade, you? There's five hun'erd pound! and there ain't ere a farmer in Suffolk or Norfolk paying rent for a bit of land like this can do as well for his darter as that,--let alone only a granddarter. You never thinks o' that;--you don't. If you don't like to take it,--leave it. But you'll leave Sheep's Acre too.'
'Bother Sheep's Acre. Who wants to stop at Sheep's Acre? It's the stoopidest place in all England.'
'Then find another. Then find another. That's all aboot it. John Crumb's a coming up for a bit o' supper. You tell him your own mind. I'm dommed if I trouble aboot it. On'y you don't stay here. Sheep's Acre ain't good enough for you, and you'd best find another home. Stoopid, is it? You'll have to put up wi' places stoopider nor Sheep's Acre, afore you've done.'