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holding the candle over the low hamper； where two extremely
blind puppies lifted up their heads towards the light from a nest of
flannel and wool。 Vixen could not even see her master look at
them without painful excitement： she got into the hamper and got
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out again the next moment； and behaved with true feminine folly；
though looking all the while as wise as a dwarf with a large old…
fashioned head and body on the most abbreviated legs。
“Why； you’ve got a family； I see； Mr。 Massey？” said Adam；
smiling； as he came into the kitchen。 “How’s that？ I thought it was
against the law here。”
“Law？ What’s the use o’ law when a man’s once such a fool as
to let a woman into his house？” said Bartle； turning away from the
hamper with some bitterness。 He always called Vixen a woman；
and seemed to have lost all consciousness that he was using a
figure of speech。 “If I’d known Vixen was a woman； I’d never have
held the boys from drowning her； but when I’d got her into my
hand； I was forced to take to her。 And now you see what she’s
brought me to—the sly； hypocritical wench”—Bartle spoke these
last words in a rasping tone of reproach； and looked at Vixen； who
poked down her head and turned up her eyes towards him with a
keen sense of opprobrium—“and contrived to be brought to bed
on a Sunday at church…time。 I’ve wished again and again I’d been
a bloody minded man； that I could have strangled the mother and
the brats with one cord。”
“I’m glad it was no worse a cause kept you from church；” said
Adam。 “I was afraid you must be ill for the first time i’ your life。
And I was particularly sorry not to have you at church yesterday。”
“Ah； my boy； I know why； I know why；” said Bartle kindly；
going up to Adam and raising his hand up to the shoulder that was
almost on a level with his own head。 “You’ve had a rough bit o’
road to get over since I saw you—a rough bit o’ road。 But I’m in
hopes there are better times coming for you。 I’ve got some news to
tell you。 But I must get my supper first； for I’m hungry； I’m
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hungry。 Sit down； sit down。”
Bartle went into his little pantry； and brought out an excellent
home…baked loaf； for it was his one extravagance in these dear
times to eat bread once a…day instead of oat…cake； and he justified
it by observing； that what a schoolmaster wanted was brains； and
oat…cake ran too much to bone instead of brains。 Then came a
piece of cheese and a quart jug with a crown of foam upon it。 He
placed them all on the round deal table which stood against his
large arm…chair in the chimney…corner； with Vixen’s hamper on
one side of it and a window…shelf with a few books piled up in it on
the other。 The table was as clean as if Vixen had been an excellent
housewife in a checkered apron； so was the quarry floor； and the
old carved oaken press； table； and chairs； which in these days
would be bought at a high price in aristocratic houses； though； in
that period of spider…legs and inlaid cupids； Bartle had got them
for an old song； where as free from dust as things could be at the
end of a summer’s day。
“Now； then； my boy； draw up； draw up。 We’ll not talk about
business till we’ve had our supper。 No man can be wise on an
empty stomach。 But；” said Bartle； rising from his chair again； “I
must give Vixen her supper too； confound her！ Though she’ll do
nothing with it but nourish those unnecessary babbies。 That’s the
way with these women—they’ve got no head…pieces to nourish；
and so their food all runs either to fat or to brats。”
He brought out of the pantry a dish of scraps； which Vixen at
once fixed her eyes on； and jumped out of her hamper to lick up
with the utmost dispatch。
“I’ve had my supper； Mr。 Massey；” said Adam； “so I’ll look on
while you eat yours。 I’ve been at the Hall Farm； and they always
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have their supper betimes； you know： they don’t keep your late
hours。”
“I know little about their hours；” said Bartle dryly； cutting his
bread and not shrinking from the crust。 “It’s a house I seldom go
into； though I’m fond of the boys； and Martin Poyser’s a good
fellow。 There’s too many women in the house for me： I hate the
sound of women’s voices； they’re always either a…buzz or a…
squeak—always either a…buzz or a…squeak。 Mrs。 Poyser keeps at
the top o’ the talk like a fife； and as for the young lasses； I’d as
soon look at water…grubs。 I know what they’ll turn to—stinging
gnats； stinging gnats。 Here； take some ale； my boy： it’s been drawn
for you—it’s been drawn for you。”
“Nay； Mr。 Massey；” said Adam； who took his old friend’s whim
more seriously than usual to…night； “don’t be so hard on the
creaturs God has made to be companions for us。 A working…man
’ud be badly off without a wife to see to th’ house and the victual；
and make things clean and comfortable。”
“Nonsense！ It’s the silliest lie a sensible man like you ever
believed； to say a woman makes a house comfortable。 It’s a story
got up because the women are there and something must be found
for ’em to do。 I tell you there isn’t a thing under the sun that needs
to be done at all； but what a man can do better than a woman；
unless it’s bearing children； and they do that in a poor make…shift
way； it had better ha’ been left to the men—it had better ha’ been
left to the men。 I tell you； a woman ’ull bake you a pie every week
of her life and never come to see that the hotter th’ oven the
shorter the time。 I tell you； a woman