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Adam Bede 454
and I should request you； Mrs。 Poyser； to supply my house with
milk； cream； and butter at the market prices。 On the other hand；
Poyser； you might let Thurle have the Lower and Upper Ridges；
which really； with our wet seasons； would be a good riddance for
you。 There is much less risk in dairy land than corn land。”
Mr。 Poyser was leaning forward； with his elbows on his knees；
his head on one side； and his mouth screwed up—apparently
absorbed in making the tips of his fingers meet so as to represent
with perfect accuracy the ribs of a ship。 He was much too acute a
man not to see through the whole business； and to foresee
perfectly what would be his wife’s view of the subject； but he
disliked giving unpleasant answers。 Unless it was on a point of
farming practice； he would rather give up than have a quarrel； any
day； and； after all； it mattered more to his wife than to him。 So；
after a few moments’ silence； he looked up at her and said mildly；
“What dost say？”
Mrs。 Poyser had had her eyes fixed on her husband with cold
severity during his silence； but now she turned away her head
with a toss； looked icily at the opposite roof of the cow…shed； and
spearing her knitting together with the loose pin； held it firmly
between her clasped hands。
“Say？ Why； I say you may do as you like about giving up any o’
your corn land afore your lease is up； which it won’t be for a year
come next Michaelmas； but I’ll not consent to take more dairy
work into my hands； either for love or money； and there’s nayther
love nor money here； as I can see； on’y other folks’s love o’
theirselves； and the money as is to go into other folks’s pockets。 I
know there’s them as is born t’ own the land； and them as is born
to sweat on’t”—here Mrs。 Poyser paused to gasp a little—“and I
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know it’s christened folks’s duty to submit to their betters as fur as
flesh and blood ’ull bear it； but I’ll not make a martyr o’ myself；
and wear myself to skin and bone； and worret myself as if I was a
churn wi’ butter a…coming in’t； for no landlord in England； not if
he was King George himself。”
“No； no； my dear Mrs。 Poyser； certainly not；” said the squire；
still confident in his own powers of persuasion； “you must not
overwork yourself； but don’t you think your work will rather be
lessened than increased in this way？ There is so much milk
required at the Abbey that you will have little increase of cheese
and butter making from the addition to your dairy； and I believe
selling the milk is the most profitable way of disposing of dairy
produce； is it not？”
“Aye； that’s true；” said Mr。 Poyser； unable to repress an opinion
on a question of farming profits； and forgetting that it was not in
this case a purely abstract question。
“I daresay；” said Mrs。 Poyser bitterly； turning her head half…
way towards her husband and looking at the vacant arm…chair—“I
daresay it’s true for men as sit i’ th’ chimney…corner and make
believe as everything’s cut wi’ ins an’ outs to fit int’ everything
else。 If you could make a pudding wi’ thinking o’ the batter； it ’ud
be easy getting dinner。 How do I know whether the milk ’ull be
wanted constant？ What’s to make me sure as the house won’t be
put o’ board wage afore we’re many months older； and then I may
have to lie awake o’ nights wi’ twenty gallons o’ milk on my
mind—and Dingall ’ull take no more butter； let alone paying for it；
and we must fat pigs till we’re obliged to beg the butcher on our
knees to buy ’em； and lose half of ’em wi’ the measles。 And there’s
the fetching and carrying； as ’ud be welly half a day’s work for a
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Adam Bede 456
man an’ hoss—that’s to be took out o’ the profits； I reckon？ But
there’s folks ’ud hold a sieve under the pump and expect to carry
away the water。”
“That difficulty—about the fetching and carrying—you will not
have； Mrs。 Poyser；” said the squire； who thought that this entrance
into particulars indicated a distant inclination to compromise on
Mrs。 Poyser’s part。 “Bethell will do that regularly with the cart and
pony。”
“Oh； sir； begging your pardon； I’ve never been used t’ having
gentlefolks’s servants coming about my back places； a…making love
to both the gells at once and keeping ’em with their hands on their
hips listening to all manner o’ gossip when they should be down
on their knees a…scouring。 If we’re to go to ruin； it shanna be wi’
having our back kitchen turned into a public。”
“Well； Poyser；” said the squire； shifting his tactics and looking
as if he thought Mrs。 Poyser had suddenly withdrawn from the
proceedings and left the room； “you can turn the Hollows into
feeding…land。 I can easily make another arrangement about
supplying my house。 And I shall not forget your readiness to
accommodate your landlord as well as a neighbour。 I know you
will be glad to have your lease renewed for three years； when the
present one expires； otherwise； I daresay Thurle； who is a man of
some capital； would be glad to take both the farms； as they could
be worked so well together。 But I don’t want to part with an old
tenant like you。”
To be thrust out of the discussion in this way would have been
enough to complete Mrs。 Poyser’s exasperation； even without the
final threat。 Her husband； really alarmed at the possibility of their
leaving the old place where he had been bred and born—for he
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Adam Bede 457
believed the old squire had small spite enough