"
"Let us leave the matter to mistress Brookes!" said Forgue. "I shall
easily satisfy her that there is no occasion for any hurry. Believe
me, you will only bring trouble on the innocent!"
"Then it canna be on you, my lord! for in this thing you have not
behaved as a gentleman ought!" said the cobbler.
"You dare tell me so!" cried Forgue, striding up to the little old
man, as if he would sweep him away with the very wind of his
approach.
"Yes; for else how should I say it to another, an' that may soon be
necessar'!" answered the cobbler. "Didna yer lordship promise an en'
to the haill meeserable affair?"
"I remember nothing of the sort."
"You did to me!" said Donal.
"Do hold your tongue, Grant, and don't make things worse. To you I
can easily explain it. Besides, you have nothing to do with it now
this good fellow has taken it up. It is quite possible, besides, to
break one's word to the ear and yet keep it to the sense."
"The only thing to justify that suggestion," said Donal, "would be
that you had married Eppy, or were about to marry her!"
Eppy would have spoken; but she only gave a little cry, for Forgue
put his hand over her mouth.
"You hold your tongue!" he said; "you will only complicate matters!"
"And there's another point, my lord," resumed Donal: "you say I have
nothing to do now with the affair: if not for my friend's sake, I
have for my own.
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