"My head spins when I think of it, however," confessed Jerry. "The
only shop I see myself in is the green-grocer's, and only there for
the cabbages and potatoes and such like. The higher goods, such as
grapes and fine fruits, would be your care."
Jane shook her head.
"Half the battle is to feel a call to a thing," she said, "same as I
felt a call to you. And as I'll be shopwoman most of the time, it's
more important as I shall be suited than you."
"Certainly."
"There's more money moving among men than women: you must remember
that too," continued Jane. "Men have bigger views and don't haggle
over halfpennies like women. A green-grocer's be a terrible shop for
haggling; but with tobacco and pipes and cigars, the price is marked
once for all, and only men buy 'em, and the clever shop women often
just turn the scales and sell the goods. I've watched these things
when I've been in Ashburton along with father, or Johnny; and I've
seen how a pleasant, nice-spoken woman behind the counter, especially
if she's good-looking, have a great power. Then, again, the
bettermost sort of men go into a tobacconist; but never into a
green-grocer. Buying vegetables be woman's work."
"I can see you incline your heart to tobacco," said Jerry. "And so,
no doubt, it will be tobacco; but I must work, and if there's no work
for me in our shop, then I'll have to find it outside our shop. Lots
of women keep a shop and their men do something else."
"Why not?"
"Us may say the lot's pretty well cast for tobacco then. Shall us
tell Johnny to-day and get his opinion?"
"I'll see what sort of frame he's in," replied Jane. "He's been dark
lately, because he's getting slowly and surely to know that Dinah
Waycott ain't going back on her word. It makes me dance with rage
sometimes to think that John can want her still, and would forgive
the woman to-morrow if she offered to take up with him again."
"Love's like that, I dare say," guessed Jerry. "It'll sink to pretty
well anything."
"Well, I hate to see it--a fine man like my brother. He comes and
goes, and they've made it up and are going to be friends; at least,
father thinks so--as if anything could ever make up a job like that.
If I was a man, and a woman jilted me, I know when I'd make it up.
I'd hate her to my dying day, and through eternity too."
"You oughtn't to say things like that, Jane."
"It ain't over yet," she continued. "I shouldn't wonder much if
there was an upstore before long. Dinah can't keep secrets and she's
shameless. There's another in her eye as I have told you--talk of
the devil!"
They were abreast of Falcon Farm and a man descended from it by a
path to the main road as Jane spoke. Maynard was on his way to
Buckland. He met them and gave them "good day" pleasantly enough.
Jerry responded and praised the weather, but his sweetheart did not
speak.
"Your brother be coming up to tea at the farm," said Lawrence.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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