Why need yo' go to Haytersbank this night ?' Philip reddened.

He could not and would not give it up, and yet it was difficult to resist the pleading of the usually stern old woman.
'Nay,' said he, withdrawing himself ever so little from her hold; 'my aunt is but ailing, they're my own flesh and blood, and as good folks as needs be, though they mayn't be o' our--o' your way o' thinking in a' things.' 'Our ways--your ways o' thinking, says he, as if they were no longer his'n.

And as good folks as need be,' repeated she, with returning severity.

'Them's Satan's words, tho' yo' spoke 'em, Philip.

I can do nought again Satan, but I can speak to them as can; an' we'll see which pulls hardest, for it'll be better for thee to be riven and rent i' twain than to go body and soul to hell.' 'But don't think, mother,' said Philip, his last words of conciliation, for the clock had given warning for two, 'as I'm boun' for hell, just because I go t' see my own folks, all I ha' left o' kin.' And once more, after laying his hand with as much of a caress as was in his nature on hers, he left the house.
Probably Alice would have considered the first words that greeted Philip on his entrance into the shop as an answer to her prayer, for they were such as put a stop to his plan of going to see Sylvia that evening; and if Alice had formed her inchoate thoughts into words, Sylvia would have appeared as the nearest earthly representative of the spirit of temptation whom she dreaded for Philip.
As he took his place behind the counter, Coulson said to him in a low voice,-- 'Jeremiah Foster has been round to bid us to sup wi' him to-night.
He says that he and John have a little matter o' business to talk over with us.' A glance from his eyes to Philip told the latter that Coulson believed the business spoken of had something to do with the partnership, respecting which there had been a silent intelligence for some time between the shopmen.
'And what did thou say ?' asked Philip, doggedly unwilling, even yet, to give up his purposed visit.
'Say! why, what could a say, but that we'd come?
There was summat up, for sure; and summat as he thought we should be glad on.