His reply was startlingly irrelevant.
"Fool or none, I'll not do it," said Joe emphatically.
"Do what ?" asked his mother in a tone of genuine inquiry.
"What I told you." "Tut, what's it to thee ?" "Ay, but it _is_ something to me, say I." "Tush, thou'rt yan of the wise asses." "If these constables," lurching his head, "if they come back, as they say, to take Ralph, I'll have no hand in't." "And why did ye help them this turn ?" said Mrs.Garth, with an elevation of her heavy eyebrows.
"Because I knew nowt of what they were after.

If I'd but known that it were for--for--_him_--" "Hod thy tongue.

Thou wad mak a priest sweer," said Mrs.Garth.

The words rolled within her teeth.
"_I_ heard what they said of the warrant, mother," said Joe; "it were the same warrant, I reckon, as old Mattha's always preaching aboot, and it's missing, and it seems to me that they want to make out as Ray--as Ralph--" "Wilt ye _never_ hod yer bletheren tongue ?" said Mrs.Garth in a husky whisper.

Then in a mollified temper she added,-- "An what an they do, laddie; what an they do?
Did ye not hear yersel that it were yan o' the Rays--yan o' them; and what's the odds which--what's the odds, I say--father and son, they were both of a swatch." At this moment there came from the inner room some slight noise of motion, and the old woman lifted her finger to her lip.
"And who knows it were _not_ yan on 'em--who ?" added Mrs.Garth, after a moment's silence.
"Nay, mother," said Joe, and his gruff voice was husky in his throat,--"nay, mother, but there _is_ them that knows." The woman gave a short forced titter.
"Ye wad mak a swine laugh, ye wad," she said.
Then, coming closer to where her son now stood with a "lash" comb in his hand before a scratched and faded mirror, she said under her breath,-- "There'll be no rest for _him_ till summat's done, none; tak my word for that.