“Come now, Betty,” I said, when all the pigs were at it sucking, swilling, munching, guzzling, thrusting, and ousting, and spilling the food upon the backs of their brethren (as great men do with their charity), “come now, Betty, how much longer am I to wait for your message?  Surely I am as good as a pig.”

“Dunno as thee be, Jan.  No straikiness in thy bakkon.  And now I come to think of it, Jan, thee zed, a wake agone last Vriday, as how I had got a girt be-ard.  Wull ’e stick to that now, Maister Jan?”

“No, no, Betty, certainly not; I made a mistake about it.  I should have said a becoming mustachio, such as you may well be proud of.”

“Then thee be a laiar, Jan Ridd.  Zay so, laike a man, lad.”

“Not exactly that, Betty; but I made a great mistake; and I humbly ask your pardon; and if such a thing as a crown-piece, Betty”—­

“No fai, no fai!” said Betty, however she put it into her pocket; “now tak my advice, Jan; thee marry Zally Snowe.”

“Not with all England for her dowry.  Oh, Betty, you know better.”

“Ah’s me!  I know much worse, Jan.  Break thy poor mother’s heart it will.  And to think of arl the danger!  Dost love Larna now so much?”

“With all the strength of my heart and soul.  I will have her, or I will die, Betty.”

“Wull.  Thee will die in either case.  But it baint for me to argify.  And do her love thee too, Jan?”

“I hope she does, Betty I hope she does.  What do you think about it?”

“Ah, then I may hold my tongue to it.  Knaw what boys and maidens be, as well as I knew young pegs.  I myzell been o’ that zort one taime every bit so well as you be.”  And Betty held the lanthorn up, and defied me to deny it; and the light through the horn showed a gleam in her eyes, such as I had never seer there before.  “No odds, no odds about that,” she continued; “mak a fool of myzell to spake of it.  Arl gone into churchyard.  But it be a lucky foolery for thee, my boy, I can tull ’ee.  For I love to see the love in thee.  Coom’th over me as the spring do, though I be naigh three score.  Now, Jan, I will tell thee one thing, can’t abear to zee thee vretting so.  Hould thee head down, same as they pegs do.”

So I bent my head quite close to her; and she whispered in my ear, “Goo of a marning, thee girt soft.  Her can’t get out of an avening now, her hath zent word to me, to tull ’ee.”

In the glory of my delight at this, I bestowed upon Betty a chaste salute, with all the pigs for witnesses; and she took it not amiss, considering how long she had been out of practice.  But then she fell back, like a broom on its handle, and stared at me, feigning anger.

“Oh fai, oh fai!  Lunnon impudence, I doubt.  I vear thee hast gone on zadly, Jan.”

CHAPTER XXXIII

AN EARLY MORNING CALL

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