she was 'ere, all the time.'
She listened with a dim kind of amazement.
`Why should I mind your being here?' she asked.
He looked at her curiously.
`T'nuisance on me!' he said briefly, but significantly. She flushed.
`Very well!' she said finally. `I won't trouble you. But I don't think I
should have minded at all sitting and seeing you look after the birds. I
should have liked it. But since you think it interferes with you, I won't
disturb you, don't be afraid. You are Sir Clifford's keeper, not mine.'
The phrase sounded queer, she didn't know why. But she let it pass.
`Nay, your Ladyship. It's your Ladyship's own 'ut. It's as your
Ladyship likes an' pleases, every time. Yer can turn me off at a wik's
notice. It wor only...'
`Only what?' she asked, baffled.
He pushed back his hat in an odd comic way.
`On'y as 'appen yo'd like the place ter yersen, when yer did come, an'
not me messin' abaht.'
`But why?' she said, angry. `Aren't you a civilized human being? Do you
think I ought to be afraid of you? Why should I take any notice of you and
your being here or not? Why is it important?'
He looked at her, all his face glimmering with wicked laughter.
`It's not, your Ladyship. Not in the very least,' he said.
`Well, why then?' she asked.
`Shall I get your Ladyship another key then?'
`No thank you! I don't want it.'
`Ah'll get it anyhow. We'd best 'ave two keys ter th' place.'
`And I consider you are insolent,' said Connie, with her colour up,
panting a little.
`Nay, nay!' he said quickly. `Dunna yer say that! Nay, nay! I niver
meant nuthink. Ah on'y thought as if yo' come 'ere, Ah s'd ave ter clear
out, an' it'd mean a lot of work, settin' up somewheres else. But if your
Ladyship isn't going ter take no notice O' me, then...it's Sir Clifford's
'ut, an' everythink is as your Ladyship likes, everythink is as your
Ladyship likes an' pleases, barrin' yer take no notice O' me, doin' th' bits
of jobs as Ah've got ter do.'
Connie went away completely bewildered. She was not sure whether she
had been insulted and mortally of fended, or not. Perhaps the man really
only meant what he said; that he thought she would expect him to keep away.
As if she would dream of it! And as if he could possibly be so important, he
and his stupid presence.
She went home in confusion, not knowing what she thought or felt.
Chapters 9
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