He was in the act of taking it from the hands of the landlord, when a stage-coach drove up, and the coachman and two of the outside passengers ordered glasses of brandy.
"From Carlisle, eh ?" said one of the latter, eyeing Reuben from where he sat and speaking with an accent which the little dalesman knew to be "foreign to these parts." Reuben assented with a satisfied nod and a screwing up of one cheek into a wrinkle about the eyes.

He was thinking of the good luck of his visit.
"What's the news there ?" asked the other passenger, with an accent which the little dalesman was equally certain was not foreign to these parts.
"Threed's up a gay penny!" said Reuben.
"Any news at the Castle the day ?" "The Castle?
No--that's to say, yes.

I did hear 'at a man had given hissel' up, but I know nowt aboot it." "Do you know his name ?" "No." "Be quick in front, my gude man; let's be off; we've lost time enough with the snow already." The coachman had mounted to his box, and was wrapping a sheepskin about his knees.
"What's that you have there ?" he said to Reuben.
"Him?
Why, that's Robbie Anderson, poor fellow.

One o' them lads, thoo knows, that have no mair nor one enemy in all the world, and that's theirselves." "Out for a spoag, eh ?" "Come, get along, man, and let's have no more botherment," cried one of the impatient passengers.
Two or three miles farther down the road Reuben was holding in his horse, in order to cross a river, when he thought that, in the comparative silence of his springless wagon, he heard Robbie speaking behind him.
"It's donky weather, this," Robbie was saying.
"Ey, wet and sladderish," said Reuben, in an insinuating tone, "baith inside and out, baith under foot and ower head." "It was north of the bridge," Robbie whispered.
"What were--Carlisle ?" asked Reuben in his most facetious vein.
"It blows a bit on the Stye Head to-day, Ralph.

The way's ower narrow.
I can never chain the young horse.