BERTHAwenthome,fuming,knowingperfectlywellthatEdwardhadreallygiventheorderswhichshehadcountermanded,butgladofthechancetohaveafinalsettlementofrights.Shedidnotseehimforseveralhours.
“Isay,Bertha,”hesaid,whenhecamein,“whyonearthdidyoustopthosemencuttingdownthebeechesonCarter’sfield?You’velostawholehalf-day’swork.Iwantedtosetthemonsomethingelseto-morrow,nowIshallhavetoleaveitovertillThursday.”
“IstoppedthembecauseIrefusetohavethebeechescutdown.They’retheonlyonesintheplace.I’mverymuchannoyedthatevenoneshouldhavegonewithoutmyknowingaboutit.Youshouldhaveaskedmebeforeyoudidsuchathing.”
“Mygoodgirl,Ican’tcomeandaskyoueachtimeIwantathingdone.”
“Isthelandmineoryours?”
“It’syours,”answeredEdward,laughing,“butIknowbetterthanyouwhatoughttobedone,andit’ssillyofyoutointerfere.”
Berthaflushed.“Infuture,Iwishtobeconsulted.”
“You’vetoldmefiftythousandtimestodoalwaysasIthinkfit.”
“Well,I’vechangedmymind.”
“It’stoolatenow,”helaughed.“YoumademetakethereinsinmyownhandsandI’mgoingtokeepthem.”
Berthainherangerhardlyrestrainedherselffromtellinghimshecouldsendhimawaylikeahiredservant.
“Iwantyoutounderstand,Edward,thatI’mnotgoingtohavethosetreescutdown.Youmusttellthemenyoumadeamistake.”
“Ishalltellthemnothingofthesort.I’mnotgoingtocutthemalldown—onlythree.Wedon’twantthemthere—foronethingtheshadedamagesthecrops,andotherwiseCarter’sisoneofourbestfields.AndthenIwantthewood.”
“Icarenothingaboutthecrops,andifyouwantwoodyoucanbuyit.Thosetreeswereplantednearlyahundredyearsago,andIwouldsoonerdiethancutthemdown.”
“ThemanwhoplantedbeechesinahedgerowwasaboutthesilliestjackassI’veeverheardof.Anytree’sbadenough,butabeechofallthings—why,it’sdrip,drip,drip,allthetime,andnotathingwillgrowunderthem.That’sthesortofthingthathasbeendoneallovertheestateforyears.It’lltakemealifetimetorepairtheblundersofyour—oftheform