“I was coming in before,” he said, impressively, “after what I heard this afternoon, but I had to drive over to Thorpe.”

“You ’eard it?” inquired the carpenter, in an incredulous voice.

“Certainly,” said the dealer, “and very sorry I was.  Sorry for one thing, but glad for another.”

The carpenter opened his mouth and seemed about to speak.  Then he checked himself suddenly and gazed with interest at the ingenuous dealer.

“I’m glad,” said Mr. Miller, slowly, as he nodded at a friend of Mrs. Tidger’s who had just come in with a long face, “because now that Mrs. Pullen is poor, I can say to her what I couldn’t say while she was rich.”

Again the astonished carpenter was about to speak, but the dealer hastily checked him with his hand.

“One at a time,” he said.  “Mrs. Pullen, I was very sorry to hear this afternoon, for your sake, that you had lost all your money.  What I wanted to say to you now, now that you are poor, was to ask you to be Mrs. Miller.  What d’ye say?”

Mrs. Pullen, touched at so much goodness, wept softly and said, “Yes.”  The triumphant Miller took out his handkerchief—­the same that he had used the previous night, for he was not an extravagant man—­and tenderly wiped her eyes.

“Well, I’m blowed!” said the staring carpenter.

“I’ve got a nice little ’ouse,” continued the wily Mr. Miller.  “It’s a poor place, but nice, and we’ll play draughts every evening.  When shall it be?”

“When you like,” said Mrs. Pullen, in a faint voice.

“I’ll put the banns up to-morrow,” said the dealer.

Mrs. Tidger’s lady friend giggled at so much haste, but Mrs. Tidger, who felt that she had misjudged him, was touched.

“It does you credit, Mr. Miller,” she said, warmly.

“No, no,” said the dealer; and then Mr. Tidger got up, and crossing the room, solemnly shook hands with him.

“Money or no money, she’ll make a good wife,” he said.

“I’m glad you’re pleased,” said the dealer, wondering at this cordiality.

“I don’t deny I thought you was after her money,” continued the carpenter, solemnly.  “My missus thought so, too.”

Mr. Miller shook his head, and said he thought they would have known him better.

“Of course it is a great loss,” said the carpenter.  “Money is money.”

“That’s all it is, though,” said the slightly mystified Mr. Miller.

“What I can’t understand is,” continued the carpenter, “’ow the news got about.  Why, the neighbours knew of it a couple of hours before we did.”

The dealer hid a grin.  Then he looked a bit bewildered again.

“I assure you,” said the carpenter, “it was known in the town at least a couple of hours before we got the letter.”

Mr. Miller waited a minute to get perfect control over his features.  “Letter?” he repeated, faintly.