recital. As for John, he looked on, surveying his brother's
philosophical demeanor at first with speechless wrath, and then
with an inscrutable mixture of expressions, in which, however, any
one accustomed to his weather-beaten countenance would have probably
read a hidden admiration.

'Weel, aa niver!' he exclaimed, when Jim's explanatory remarks had
come to an end, swinging himself up on to his seat and gathering
up the reins. 'Yur a boald 'un to tell the missus theer to hur
feeace as how ya wur' tossicatit whan yur owt ta been duing yur
larful business. Aa've doon wi' yer. Aa aims to please ma coostomers,
an' aa caan't abide sek wark. Yur like an oald kneyfe, I can mak'
nowt o' ya', nowder back nor edge.'

Mrs. Thornburgh wrung her fat short hands in despair, making little
incoherent laments and suggestions as she saw him about to depart,
of which John at last gathered the main purport to be that she
wished him to go back to Whinborough for her precious parcel.

He shook his head compassionately over the preposterous state of
mind betrayed by such a demand, and with a fresh burst of abuse of
his brother, and an assurance to the vicar's wife that he meant to
'gie that oald man nawtice when be got haum; he wasn't goan to hev
his bisness spiled for nowt by an oald ijiot wi' a hed as full o'
yale as a hayrick's full o' mice,' he raised his whip and the
clattering vehicle moved forward; Jim meanwhile preserving through
all his brother's wrath and Mrs. Thornburgh's wailings the same
mild and even countenance, the meditative and friendly aspect of
the philosopher letting the world go 'as e'en it will.'