On this occasion she gave him brown bread and butter, and some delicate young onions, together with a cake, baked in honour of Mr. Mortimer’s wedding.  Valentine thought it was only due to her that she should be told something concerning Joseph’s wedding.  A man’s mother does not often care to hear of her son’s love for another woman, but Valentine expected to please Mrs. Swan on this occasion.

“Like old times to see you, sir,” she said, “ain’t it, Nicholas?”

Then Valentine, seated at his ease, told his story, and was aware before it was half over that Swan was attempting to feign a surprise he did not feel, and that Mrs. Swan was endeavouring to keep within due bounds her expression of the surprise she did feel.

“Bless my heart!” she exclaimed, “you take this very easy, Nicholas.”

Then Mr. Swan said, looking rather foolish, “Well, Maria, there’s many more wonderful things in this world to hear on than to hear that a young man have fell in love with a young woman.”

Mrs. Swan gasped.  “Our Joey!” she exclaimed; “and what will Mr. Mortimer think?”

Valentine sat, composed, and almost impassive.

“You think she likes our boy, sir?”

“I am sure of it.”

“How is he ever to maintain her as she’ll expect!”

“She has a thousand pounds of her own; that will help him.  I have written to him that he must settle it on her.”

Here Mrs. Swan’s added surprise made her thoughtful.

“She is a good, modest, virtuous young lady, as I’ve heerd,” said Swan, looking pointedly at Valentine, as if to admonish-him that the mother would like to have this confirmed.

“Yes,” answered Valentine, with great decision; “she is all that and more, she is very affectionate, and has a good temper.”

“Well,” said Swan, drawing a deep breath, “all I have to observe is, that wives were made afore coats of mail, though coats of female would be more to the purpose here” (he meant coats of arms), “and,” continued the gardener, with that chivalrous feeling which lies at the very core of gentlemanhood, “I’m not going to disparage my son, my Joey, that would be to disparage her chice.  If she thinks he’s ekal to be her husband, she’ll respect him as a wife should.  Why, bless you, Maria, my dear, if you come to that, there’s hardly a young man alive that’s ekal to his young wife, whether she be gentle or simple.  They’re clean above us, most on ’em.  But he can rise; Joseph can rise if she’ll help him.”

“My word!” repeated Mrs. Swan several times over; and then added slowly, “It’ll be an awk’ard thing for Swan if Mr. Mortimer should take offence about this.”

Valentine was perfectly aware that something either in his manner, or his account of his own part in the matter, had much surprised them; also he thought that their poor place and preferment in this world seemed to them to be menaced by it.  He did what he could to dissipate any such thoughts, and added a request that until they heard from Joseph that he was actually married nothing might be said about the matter.  This request was very welcome to Mrs. Swan.  It seemed to put off an eventful day, which she was not ready for even in imagination.