"And a lad it
is, I tell thee."
"_And_ a wench!" said Charlie; then shook his head.
The wrangle proceeded monotonously, each party repeating over and over
again the phrases of his own argument. I was very glad that Jos did not
know me to be a witness of the making of the bet; otherwise I should
assuredly have been summoned to give judgment.
"Let's call it off, then," Charlie suggested at length. "That'll settle
it. And it being twins--"
"Nay, thou old devil, I'll none call it off. Thou owes me half a quid,
and I'll have it out of thee."
"Look ye here," Charlie said more softly. "I'll tell thee what'll settle
it. Which on 'em come first, th' lad or th'wench?"
"Th' wench come first," Jos Myatt admitted, with resentful reluctance,
dully aware that defeat was awaiting him.
"Well, then! Th' wench is thy eldest child. That's law, that is. And
what was us betting about, Jos lad? Us was betting about thy eldest and
no other. I'll admit as I laid it wasna' a lad, as thou sayst. And it
_wasna'_ a lad. First come is eldest, and us was betting about eldest."
Charlie stared at the father in triumph.
Jos Myatt pushed roughly past him in the narrow space behind the bar,
and came into the parlour.
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