"And, by-the-bye, Mr.Mortimer, did she tell you the story that used to annoy the dear grandmother ?" she inquired.
Mr.Mortimer was so long in answering, that she looked up at him, and when he caught her eye he answered.

"Yes." "He doesn't like it any more than his mother did," she thought, so she said no more, and he almost immediately went away to give orders about the proposed estimates.
Mrs.Melcombe and Laura made Mr.Mortimer very comfortable, and when he went away he left them highly pleased, for, having been told of their intended journey to Paris, he had proposed to them to come and spend a few days at his house, considering it the first stage of their tour.
So he departed, and no more dirt was thrown at him.

The tide began to turn in favour of the Mortimers, people had seen the mild face and venerable gentleness of the Mortimer who was poor, they had now handled the gold of the one that was rich.
"Old Madam was a saint," they observed, "but she couldn't come and look arter us _hersen_, poor dear.

Farmers are _allers_ hard on poor folk.

So he was bent on having another well atop o' the hill 'stead o' the bottom.