Chapter 46

‘Fringal heard Jonathan say so in the bar.’ ‘Oh, stepfather! He’s a silly old man with a maggot of story-telling in brain. He makes things up faster than a child can make a tossy-ball.’ ‘And I asked yer mother.’ Robert sighed. ‘Oh, well, if mother told you—’ ‘Do yer make love poems, Bob?’ ‘Love poems?’ ‘Ah! Look you, Bob. Lend me half-a-dozen of ’em, as short as you like—and I’ll give you ten pound.’ ‘Lord love you!’ said Robert, laughing, ‘they inna worth a farden.’ ‘Lend ’em to me?’ ‘Be you in love?’ ‘Ah.’ ‘Who w…