Page:Between Two Loves.djvu/252

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A QUESTION OF DUTY.
247

Jonas Shuttleworth and t' devil were t' varry same thing."

"My word! It's well Shuttleworth didn't hear him."

"I said, 'In that case, t' devil himsen weren't half as bad as some o' his servants were.' 'Meaning me?' asked Sykes, in a passion; and I answered, 'Thou knows whose wages thou takes.' Then Newby put thy seal on all and everything, and gave orders for t' mill to stop at noon."

"Well, what does ta look so down in t' mouth for? One would think it was our mill that was to stop at noon, Ben, from t' way thou takes it."

"Nay, I don't know. But I'll tell thee one thing, Jonathan, revenge isn't half such a sweet morsel as it is said to be. There's many sins far more tempting, I should say."

"Thou knows little about it, then, and a just retribution isn't revenge, and thou oughtn't to speak in that way, and take t' varry sweetness out of it There's no sin in a good man rejoicing in t' overthrow of t' wicked; but we'll change t' subject if it's so unpleasant to thee. I see Sarah Benson's loom is idle. Does ta know what's matter now?"