Who was the young lady that I saw entering a carriage? His
daughter?'
'Why, how should I know, honest man?' replied Joe, contriving in the
course of some arrangements about the hearth, to advance close to his
questioner and pluck him by the sleeve, 'I didn't see the young lady,
you know. Whew! There's the wind again--AND rain--well it IS a night!'
Rough weather indeed!' observed the strange man.
'You're used to it?' said Joe, catching at anything which seemed to
promise a diversion of the subject.
'Pretty well,' returned the other. 'About the young lady--has Mr
Haredale a daughter?'
'No, no,' said the young fellow fretfully, 'he's a single
gentleman--he's--be quiet, can't you, man? Don't you see this talk is
not relished yonder?'
Regardless of this whispered remonstrance, and affecting not to hear it,
his tormentor provokingly continued:
'Single men have had daughters before now. Perhaps she may be his
daughter, though he is not married.'
'What do you mean?' said Joe, adding in an undertone as he approached
him again, 'You'll come in for it presently, I know you will!'
'I mean no harm'--returned the traveller boldly, 'and have said none
that I know of.
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