Jacob and John Book

General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1905 Original Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER III HANNAH, THE DIPLOMATIST " TJA! ha! You be just about so sprack as a --- snail. What have 'ee been about ? I should ha' thought a young woman your age could keep pace wi' a old cow or two. But you've a-got the rheumatics in your knees or the gout in your great toe, I suppose. Or did 'ee stop to talk to a young man ? " This was Jacob's ironical greeting. He was ready and waiting, with a pail in one hand and a one-legged milking-stool in the other; and although he meant his admonition to be light and humorous, his voice sounded about as pleasant as the squeaking of an ungreased gimlet. " Well, an' what if I did stop to talk to a young man then ? " said Hannah sharply. Jacob was not ready with a reply to such an unexpected admission. He shuffled off to take the old red cow farthest away, with a nervous uncomfortable feeling that the world must be turning upside down, since a woman in service could retort upon so genial a master as himself -- and he was powerless to help it. " For that's what I did do, since your tongue is so quick." Jacob took no heed. The cow moved off. He cursed her aloud for a fool-headed toad, to show that his mind was at ease. " Though if you must know who 'twas " Goaded into anger, Jacob turned round. "Why should I want to know who the fool was? " he cried, with an assumption of indifference. " Why, 'twas nobody but John." "Eh? What?" " John." " Then why's he a-meeching from school ? If he's out o' school let un work. There's a plenty to do, sure enough. More 'an plenty -- more'an enough." It was a relief to Jacob to ...Read More