’Tell you your missus that I am coming on particular business and wish to speak with her in private.  Here, stop you, Shanno, where is Miss Netta?  I ’ouldn’t mind giving you a shilling to tell her I was wanting to see her before I am seeing her mother.’

The shilling was offered, and received with much satisfaction and an intelligent grin, and in less than five minutes Netta was with Mrs Jenkins.

‘Deet to goodness, and you do look very poorly, Netta, fach!’ said that worthy, ’Howel was telling me to see you, and to be giving you this note.  Give you another to Shanno before I will be going away, and I will give it to my Howel.  Annwyl! you shall be seeing my Howel, now; how he do look a horseback.  Beauty seure! he do say you will have a horse, too.  There, go you? tell Shanno to tell your mother that I do be glad to see her, let her tak’ care how she do refuse you again.’

Netta escaped with her note, and was soon succeeded by Mrs Prothero, who shook hands in a trembling, frightened way with Mrs Jenkins, who, on the contrary, strong in the consciousness of fortune and new apparel, was perfectly self-possessed.  She began at once.

’I am coming about my Howel and your Netta, Mrs Prothero Howel is in a fine temper, keeping noise enough, I can tell you; and I should like to be knowing why he isn’t good enough for your doater, Mrs Prothero; him as is worth hundreds of thousands, and is as like to be coming a member, and to be riding in his own carriage, and to be dining with the Queen for that much! and seurely, he don’t be good enough for Miss Prothero Glanyravon Farm!  Ach a fi! some peoples do be setting themselves up! my Howel, too!  So handsome, and genteel, so full of learning!  Name o’ goodness what would you have, Mrs Prothero, Glanyravon Farm?’

Mrs Jenkins paused with a long emphasis on the farm.

‘I am very sorry, Mrs Jenkins,’ began trembling Mrs Prothero rubbing one hand nervously over the other, ’but my husband is afraid that Howel is not quite steady enough for such a giddy young thing as Netta.’

‘Study! why, tak’ your time and you’ll be seeing how study and pretty he do behave.  On my deet, and I ’ouldn’t say that, if I wasn’t as seure as I’m alive, he haven’t took a drop too much, nor said a wicked word, nor keep no low company since his poor dear father was dying.  Ah, Mrs Prothero! you was being very good to us when I was losing my poor Griffey.  Who’d be thinking what a heap of money he’d be leaving, and Howel’ll be building a good house for me? and seure, I must be dressing in my best, and having servants to wait on me? and, bless you, nothing as my son Howel’s can be getting is too good for his poor old mother!’

‘I am very glad to hear he is so kind,’ said Mrs Prothero.

‘Then what do you say about Netta, Mrs Prothero, fach?’ sharply asked Mrs Jenkins.

’To tell you the truth, I have very little power; my husband made up his mind and wrote the note without consulting me.’