"Nay, does he, Dally?" "Yes, gran'fa; and he shan't. He shall marry me. If he don't, I'll kill him!" "So you shall, my pretty," chuckled the old man; "and I'll bury him. And then the doctor--" He checked himself and chuckled again. "What's the use of the doctor when he's dead?" cried Dally pettishly, as she tugged angrily at a fold of the old man's trousers. "And Doctor North's a fool!" "Nay! nay! nay! Doctor's a very clever man, Dally." "He isn't; he's a fool, gran'fa!" "Tut, tut! Shoo, shoo!" "I say he is, or he wouldn't be courting and making love to Miss Leo." "Do he, Dally?--do he?" "Why, yes, gran'fa, of course he does and she's carrying on all the time with Tom. Oh, how I do hate her! Wish he'd let her die!" "Ay, would ha' been a good job for everybody--and for me, Dally. But doctor don't know?" "Know? Of course not. He's too stupid. He's a fool!" "Nay, he's not a fool," said the old man, smoking rapidly. "Doctor's head's screwed on right way. He don't know, or--" "Or what, gran'fa--or what?" "He! he! he!" chuckled the old man, as Dally screwed herself round and gazed eagerly in his face. "Here, gently, gently! Don't stick your little claws into my legs like that, pussy." "But what, gran'fa, what?--what would the doctor do?" "Give him a nasty dose, I should say, Dally," chuckled the old man. "Doctor don't know--he arn't no fool. Does Miss Leo know young squire courts you?" "I don't know," cried Dally thoughtfully. "She be a bad 'un," grunted the old man. "She's a wretch, and I hate her! Oh, I wish master was the doctor instead of the parson!" "Why, Dally, my lass?" said the old man, whose lips were drawn open to a terrible extension--a savage grin--as if he gloried in the display of fierce vindictive spite which the girl displayed. "I'd get something out of the surgery and poison her!" "Nay, nay, Dally, that wouldn't do," he chuckled. "They'd find you out and hang you." "I wouldn't care if I killed her first," said Dally fiercely. "She shouldn't have him." "What--the doctor?" "No. Don't be so stupid. You know--Tom." "Ah, well, wait a bit. Dessay the things 'll come right. Wait till doctor finds it out; he'll half kill Tom Candlish, same as Parson Salis did when squire was after Miss Leo." "Did he? Oh, I know! It was when master's knuckles was all cut." "That's right, Dally. I was in the wood and see it all, but I never said a word till now. And don't you. I thought it was all over between young Tom and pretty Miss up at the Rect'ry." "But it isn't all over, gran'fa, and I won't have it. They shan't meet. I'll tear her eyes out first. Nice one she is to lecture me!" "You wait till doctor finds it out, if he's courting Leo Salis. He'll half kill Tom Candlish." "But I don't want him half killed," cried Dally. "Yes I do; it'll bring him to his senses, and when he's ill I can go and give him a bit of my mind." "Ah, to be sure; so you can, my pretty."