I remember getting red-hot all
over and feeling a rush of righteous anger fill my heart; and an angry man
will do anything, so I got up in the eye of all the people--an act very
contrary to my nature, I'm sure. The place swam before my eyes and I was
only conscious of one thing: my wife tugging at my tail to drag me down.
But nought could have shut me up at that tragical moment, and I spoke with
a loud and steady voice.
"I deny it and defy it, Reverend Batson," I said, when he asked if anybody
knew 'just cause'; and the people fluttered like a flock of geese, and
parson made answer:
"Then you will meet me in the vestry after Divine Service, Farmer Blake,"
he answered, and so went on with his work.
After that I sat down, and my wife whispered; "Now you've done it, you
silly gawk!"
But I was too put about to heed her. In fact I couldn't stand no more
religion for the moment, and I rose up and went out, and smoked my pipe
behind the family vault of the Lords of the Manor, till the people had all
got away after service. And then I came forth and went into the vestry.
But I wasn't the first, for who should be waiting for me but my sister,
Mary, and Bob Battle himself. Bob was looking out of the window at the
graves, thoughtful like, and parson was getting out of his robes; but Mary
didn't wait for them. She let on to me like a cat-a-mountain, and I never
had such a dressing down from mortal man or woman in all my life as I had
from her that Sunday morning.
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