As they passed he made some jocular remark in the patois which provoked
a guffaw from the rest, and reddened Nance's face, and caused Bernel to
glance up at Gard and jerk round angrily towards Tom.
"What did he say?" asked Gard, stopping.
But Nance hurried on and he could not but follow.
"What was it?" he asked again, as he caught up with her.
"If you please, do not mind him. It was just one of his rudenesses."
"They want knocking out of him."
"He is very rude," said Nance, and they passed the Vicarage and turned
up the stony lane to the church.
Gard was surprised by the speedy verification of Bernel's weather
forecast. Before the service was over the wind was howling round the
building with the sounds of unleashed furies, and when they got out it
was almost dark.
They bent to the gale and pressed on, Gard with a discomforting
remembrance that the Coupee lay ahead.
As they passed Vauroque there seemed a still larger crowd of loafers at
the corner, and again Tom's voice called rudely after them.
Gard turned promptly and strode back to where he was sitting on the
wall, dangling his feet in devil-may-care fashion.
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