He never took excuses from anyone.

It was all business with Abel---pay up or quit, was his daily motto.
Hugh, listening, quickly determined that a little more fresh trouble had dropped down upon the poor head of Matilda.

She had been taking a quart of milk a day from Farmer Bernard, and the bill had run two months and more now.

He shoved an account at her in a most savage manner, Thad thought, and the boy felt as if he could have kicked the grim dairyman with rare good pleasure to settle the account.
As for Hugh, if he had chanced to have the money with him just then he would only too gladly have loaned or given it to Matilda, so that she might get rid of the abusive farmer, whose very tone was harsh and rasping.
"It's my rule never to let anybody get away with more than a second month's milk," the big man was saying in that loud, abusive voice of his.

"You asked me to let the account go on another spell when I handed you the same before, and now you tell me you haven't got the five dollars it calls for because some old tramp of a brother that you haven't seen for twenty years has dropped down on you, and had to be taken care of.