It was of consequence to me, however, to accustom, the girl to converse with me familiarly.

If she did so, she could not always be on her guard, and something, I thought, might drop from her which I could turn to advantage.
'Does not the Squire usually look into his letter-bag, Dorcas ?' said I, with as much indifference as I could assume.
'That a does,' said Dorcas; 'and a threw out a letter of mine to Raff Miller, because a said'-- 'Well, well, I won't trouble him with mine,' said I, 'Dorcas; but, instead, I will write to himself, Dorcas.

But how shall I address him ?' 'Anan ?' was again Dorcas's resource.
'I mean how is he called?
What is his name ?' 'Sure you honour should know best,' said Dorcas.
'I know?
The devil! You drive me beyond patience.' 'Noa, noa! donna your honour go beyond patience--donna ye now,' implored the wench.

'And for his neame, they say he has mair nor ane in Westmoreland and on the Scottish side.

But he is but seldom wi' us, excepting in the cocking season; and then we just call him Squoire loike; and so do my measter and dame.' 'And is he here at present ?' said I.
'Not he, not he; he is a buck-hoonting, as they tell me, somewhere up the Patterdale way; but he comes and gangs like a flap of a whirlwind, or sic loike.' I broke off the conversation, after forcing on Dorcas a little silver to buy ribbons, with which she was so much delighted that she exclaimed, 'God! Cristal Nixon may say his worst on thee; but thou art a civil gentleman for all him; and a quoit man wi' woman folk loike.' There is no sense in being too quiet with women folk, so I added a kiss with my crown piece; and I cannot help thinking that I have secured a partisan in Dorcas.