“Now, this ere is prime!  Now, where upon the face of the yeth did you get this?” she inquired, as she sniffed and sipped the beverage, that was equally grateful to smell and taste.

“A friend gave it to Nora, who has been poorly, you know; but Nora does not like wine herself, and I would advise you not to drink all that, for it would certainly get in your head,” said Hannah.

“Law, child, I wish it would; if it would do my head half as much good as it is a-doing of my insides this blessed minute! after being out in the snow, too!  Why, it makes me feel as good as preaching all over!” smiled the old woman, slowly sniffing and sipping the elixir of life, while her bleared eyes shone over the rim of the cup like phosphorus.

“But how came you out in the snow, Mrs. Jones?” inquired Hannah.

“Why, my dear, good child, when did ever I stop for weather?  I’ve been a-monthly nussing up to Colonel Mervin’s for the last four weeks, and my time was up to-day, and so I sat out to come home; and first I stopped on my way and got my tea along of Mrs. Spicer, at Brudenell, and now I s’pose I shall have to stop all night along of you.  Can you ’commodate me?”

“Of course we can,” said Hannah.  “You can sleep with me and Nora; you will be rather crowded, but that won’t matter on a cold night; anyway, it will be better than for you to try to get home in this snow-storm.”

“Thank y’, children; and now, to pay you for that, I have got sich a story to tell you!  I’ve been saving of it up till I got dry and warm, ’cause I knew if I did but give you a hint of it, you’d be for wanting to know all the particulars afore I was ready to tell ’em!  But now I can sit myself down for a good comfortable chat!  And it is one, too, I tell you! good as a novel!” said the old woman, nodded her head knowingly.

“Oh, what is it about, Mrs. Jones?” inquired Hannah and Nora in a breath, as they stopped knitting and drew their chairs nearer together.

“Well, then,” said the dame, hitching her chair between the sisters, placing a hand upon each of their laps, and looking from one to the other—­“what would ye give to know, now?”

“Nonsense! a night’s lodging and your breakfast!” laughed Nora.

“And ye’ll get your story cheap enough at that!  And now listen and open your eyes as wide as ever you can!” said the dame, repeating her emphatic gestures of laying her hands heavily upon the knees of the visitors and looking intently from one eager face to the other.  “Mr.—­Herman—­Brudenell—­have—­got—­a—­wife!  There, now!  What d’ye think o’ that! aint you struck all of a heap?”

No, they were not; Hannah’s face was perfectly calm; Nora’s indeed was radiant, not with wonder, but with joy!

“There, Hannah!  What did I tell you!” she exclaimed.  “Mrs. Brudenell has spoken to him and he has owned his marriage!  But dear Mrs. Jones, tell me—­was his mother very, very angry with him about it?” she inquired, turning to the visitor.