But, Poor gentleman, there's great allowance,' said she, 'to
be made for him, that lost his son and heir--that would have been heir
to all, and a fine youth that he doted upon. But,' continued the old
woman, in whose mind the transitions from GREAT to little, from serious
to trivial, were ludicrously abrupt, 'that was no reason why the old
gentleman should scold me last time he was here, as he did, for as long
as ever he could stand over me, only because I killed a mouse who was
eating my cheese; and, before night, he beat a boy for stealing a piece
of that same cheese; and he would never, when down here, let me set a
mouse-trap.'
'Well, my good woman,' interrupted Lord Colambre, who was little
interested in this affair of the mouse-trap, and nowise curious to
learn more of Mr. Reynolds's domestic economy, 'I'll not trouble you any
farther, if you can be so good as to tell me the road to Toddrington, or
to Little Wickham, I think you call it.'
Little Wickham!' repeated the woman, laughing--' Bless you, sir, where
do you come from?--It's Little Wrestham; surely everybody knows, near
Lantry; and keep the PIKE till you come to the turn at Rotherford, and
then you strike off into the by-road to the left, and then again turn at
the ford to the right.
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