plum-cake; can you tell how it came?' 'Not I, indeed, Tom,'
replied his father; 'I can tell no more than the carp at the
bottom of the squire's fish-pond.' 'Oh, I will tell you.' said
Mrs. Flood; 'I know how it came. Do you know, that dear child,
Master George Kendall, brought it for me; he called as he went to
school this morning. I told him I would not have it; but the dear
little soul popped it into the cupboard, and ran away without it.
Bless his little heart! I do think he is the sweetest child that
ever was born. You may laugh at me for saying so; but I am sure I
should have thought the same if I had not nursed him myself.'
'Indeed,' replied her husband, 'I do not laugh at you for saying
so, for I think so too, and so must everyone who knows him; for
when young gentlemen behave as he does, everybody must love and
admire them. There is nothing I would not do to help and serve
that child, or any of his family; they always are so kind, and
speak as civilly to us poor folk as if we were the first lords or
ladies in the land. I am sure, if it were needful, I would go
through fire and water for their sakes; and so would every man in
the parish, I dare say. But I wonder who would do as much to help
Squire Stately or any of his family, if it was not that I should
think it my duty (and an honest man ought always to do that,
whether he likes it or not); but I say, if it was not that it
would be my duty to help my fellow-creature, I would scarcely be
at the trouble of stepping over the threshold to serve them, they
are such a set of cross, good-for-nothing gentry. I declare, it
was but as we came home to dinner now, that we saw Master Sam
throwing sticks and stones at Dame Frugal's ducks, for the sake of
seeing them waddle; and then, when they got to the pond, he sent
his dog in after them to bark and frighten them out of their wits.
And as I came by, nothing would serve him but throwing a great dab