"Was it a red Durham?" said the farrier, taking up the thread of discourse after the lapse of a few minutes. The farrier looked at the landlord, and the landlord looked at the butcher, as the person who must take the responsibility of answering. "Red it was," said the butcher, in his good-humored husky treble,--"and a Durham it was." "Then you needn't tell _me_ who you bought it of," said the farrier, looking round with some triumph: "I know who it is has got the red Durhams o' this country-side. And she'd a white star on her brow, I'll bet a penny?" The farrier leaned forward with his hands on his knees as he put this question, and his eyes twinkled knowingly. "Well, yes--she might," said the butcher, slowly, considering that he was giving a decided affirmative. "I don't say contrairy." "I knew that very well," said the farrier, throwing himself backward again, and speaking defiantly; "if _I_ don't know Mr. Lammeter's cows, I should like to know who does--that's all. And as for the cow you've bought, bargain or no bargain, I've been at the drenching of her--contradick me who will." The farrier looked fierce, and the mild butcher's conversational spirit was roused a little. "I'm not for contradicking no man," he said; "I'm for peace and quietness. Some are for cutting long ribs--I'm for cutting 'em short myself; but _I_ don't quarrel with 'em. All I say is, it's a lovely carkiss--and anybody as was reasonable, it 'ud bring tears into their eyes to look at it." "Well, it's the cow as I drenched, whatever it is," pursued the farrier, angrily; "and it was Mr. Lammeter's cow, else you told a lie when you said it was a red Durham." "I tell no lies," said the butcher, with the same mild huskiness as before; "and I contradick none--not if a man was to swear himself black; he's no meat o' mine, nor none o' my bargains. All I say is, it's a lovely carkiss. And what I say I'll stick to; but I'll quarrel wi' no man." "No," said the farrier with bitter sarcasm, looking at the company generally; "and p'raps you aren't pig-headed; and p'raps you didn't say the cow was a red Durham; and p'raps you didn't say she'd got a star on her brow--stick to that, now you're at it." "Come, come," said the landlord, "let the cow alone. The truth lies atween you; you're both right and both wrong, as I allays say. And as for the cow's being Mr. Lammeter's, I say nothing to that; but this I say, as the Rainbow's the Rainbow. And for the matter o' that, if the talk is to be o' the Lammeters, _you_ know the most upo' that head, eh, Mr. Macey? You remember when first Mr. Lammeter's father come into these parts, and took the Warrens?"