human
I am amazed and horrified, Martha. Do you know that when I was last here, ten years ago, that man Noakes came to me and borrowed a considerable sum of money for the extension of his business. He seemed a civil and obliging person, and I was glad to lend to a respectable tradesman—of course, at a reasonable rate of interest. He has paid me the interest regularly, but always regretted that circumstances did not permit of his repaying the loan. It is shocking to find that he has actually used that money—my money—to involve your dear husband in difficulties. Such depravity! I shall deal very sternly with Mr. Noakes to-morrow, I assure you.
gpt
Ah! To think of it, now, said Mrs. Trenchard.
human
And that dreadful man as he put in here—well, I do owe your nephew something, ma’am, for he and his friend Mr. Eves blowed him out with the most terrible smell that ever was, and no harm to a soul. Mr. Bob’s inventions are that wonderful!
gpt
Really, Robert, said Miss Templeton,
human
I hope you have not been troubling Mrs. Trenchard with your inventions. It was clearly understood that you came here to work on the land.
gpt
And so he hev, ma’am, put in Trenchard.
human
Him and his friend hev worked on the land, and done inventions as well, and one of ’em saved my root crops, it did. I’m not the man to say anything against inventions.
gpt
I am glad to hear you have invented something useful, Robert. Was that tar entanglement that your friend spoke of also an invention of yours?
human
Well, yes, Aunt, it was, said Templeton, somewhat embarrassed.
gpt
It was an idea for worrying the Germans, you know. But, of course—here’s Tom, he’ll explain better than I can.
human
Oh, I say! protested Eves, who had just come in. Then he began to laugh.
gpt
My word! He did look funny—tar from head to foot. You see, Miss Templeton, we got rid of that ruffian Smail once by means of stinks—I mean, sulphuretted hydrogen, a gas very useful in chemistry. Then, suspecting he’d come back, it occurred to me that we might teach him a lesson by putting into practice Bob’s idea of a tar entanglement. It really worked out splendidly. Noakes—he’s a bad egg——
human
A what?
gpt
A bad man, ma’am. He and Smail came up, and we let off the guns just to encourage ’em, and they fell slap on their faces in the lane over there, and I’m sure they won’t get the tar off for a month.
human
You gave Mr. Noakes my message?
gpt
Yes.
human
And he said he would come, no doubt.
gpt
I’m sorry to say, ma’am, he swore like a trooper. But in the circumstances I dare say you would have done the same—not you, of course. I didn’t mean that; I mean any one—that is, any man.
human
But no gentleman, Mr. Eves.
gpt
Certainly—that is, of course not; but then no gentleman would ever be Noakes.