Chapter 19

           Ingeneralthecowsweremilkedastheypresentedthemselves,withoutfancyorchoice.Butcertaincowswillshowafondnessforaparticularpairofhands,sometimescarryingthispredilectionsofarastorefusetostandatallexcepttotheirfavourite,thepailofastrangerbeingunceremoniouslykickedover.

           ItwasDairymanCrick’sruletoinsistonbreakingdownthesepartialitiesandaversionsbyconstantinterchange,sinceotherwise,intheeventofamilkmanormaidgoingawayfromthedairy,hewasplacedinadifficulty.Themaids’privateaims,however,werethereverseofthedairyman’srule,thedailyselectionbyeachdamseloftheeightortencowstowhichshehadgrownaccustomedrenderingtheoperationontheirwillingudderssurprisingeasyandeffortless.

           Tess,likehercompeers,soondiscoveredwhichofthecowshadapreferenceforherstyleofmanipulation,andherfingershavingbecomedelicatefromthelongdomiciliaryimprisonmentstowhichshehadsubjectedherselfatintervalsduringthelasttwoorthreeyears,shewouldhavebeengladtomeetthemilchers’viewsinthisrespect.Outofthewholeninety-fivetherewereeightinparticular—Dumpling,Fancy,Lofty,Mist,OldPretty,YoungPretty,Tidy,andLoud—who,thoughtheteatsofoneortwowereashardascarrots,gavedowntoherwithareadinessthatmadeherworkonthemameretouchofthefingers.