“If I did take ‘e, you’d be a gude an’ faithful husband, Billy, not a gad-about?”

“Cut my legs off if I go gaddin’ further than to do your errands.”

“An’ you’ll keep these here buzzin’ parties off me?  Cuss ’em!  They make my life a burden.”

“Doan’t fear that.  I’ll larn ’em!”

“Theer ‘s awnly wan I can bide of the whole lot—­an’ that’s my awn nephew, Clem Hicks.  He’ll drink his drop o’ liquor an’ keep his mouth shut, an’ listen to me a-talkin’ as a young man should.  T’others are allus yelpin’ out how fond they be of me, and how they’d go to the world’s end for me.  I hate the sight of ’em.”

“A time-servin’ crew, Mary; an’ Clement Hicks no better ’n the rest, mark my word, though your sister’s son.  ‘T is cupboard love wi’ all.  But money ban’t nothin’ to me.  I’ve been well contented with enough all my life, though ’t is few can say with truth that enough satisfies ’em.”

“Lezzard said money was nothin’ to him neither, having plenty of his awn.  ’T was my pusson, not my pocket, as he’d falled in love with.”

“Burnish it all!  Theer ’s a shameful speech!  ‘Your pusson’!  Him!  I’ll tell you what Lezzard is—­just a damn evil disposition kep’ in by skin an’ bones—­that’s Lezzard.  ’Your pusson’!”

“I’m afraid I’ve encouraged him a little.  You’ve been so backward in mentioning the subject of late.  But I’m sure I didn’t knaw as he’d got a evil disposition.”

“Well, ‘t is so.  An’ ’t is awnly your bigness of heart, as wouldn’t hurt a beetle, makes you speak kind of the boozy auld sweep.  I’ll soon shaw un wheer he’s out if he thinks you ’m tinkering arter him!”

“He couldn’t bring an action for breach, or anything o’ that, could he?”

“At his time of life!  What Justice would give ear to un?  An’ the shame of it!”

“Perhaps he misunderstood.  You men jump so at a conclusion.”

“Leave that to me.  I’ll clear his brains double-quick; aye, an’ make un jump for somethin’!”

“Then I suppose it’s got to be.  I’m yourn, Billy, an’ theer needn’t be any long waitin’ neither.  To think of another weddin’ an’ another husband!  Just a drop or I shall cry.  It’s such a supporting thing to a lone female.”

Whether Mrs. Coomstock meant marriage or Plymouth gin, Billy did not stop to inquire.  He helped her, filled Lezzard’s empty glass for himself, and then, finding his future wife thick of speech, bleared of eye, and evidently disposed to slumber, he departed and left her to sleep off her varied emotions.

“I’ll mighty soon change all that,” thought Mr. Blee.  “To note a fine woman in liquor ’s the frightfullest sight in all nature, so to say.  Not but what with Lezzard a-pawin’ of her ’t was enough to drive her to it.”

That night the lover announced his triumph, whereon Phoebe congratulated him and Miller Lyddon shook his head.

“’T is an awful experiment, Billy, at your age,” he declared.