sed shoo didn’t mind if he did.  Shoo wor a varry nice lass an’ dressed as grand as yo’d wish to see an’ Dick sed such nice things to her, an’ shoo smiled an’ luk’d soa delighted wi him wol he hardly knew what ailed him.  When they coom to some gates leeadin to a varry big hall shoo held aght her hand to bid him gooid-bye, for shoo sed, ‘I’m at home now.’  Dick begged hard on her to promise to meet him agean, an’ at last it wor arranged shoo’d see him next Sundy neet on th’ canal bank at Brookfooit.  All th’ next wick Dick’s mates couldn’t tell what to mak on him; he gave ovver singin’ ‘Slap Bang’ an’ ‘Champagne Charlie,’ an’ tuk to practisin’ ’Gooid-bye, Sweetheart’ an’ ‘Bonny Jean,’ an’ whenivver he’d a minit or two to spare he wor scrapin’ his finger nails or twistin’ th’ two or three hairs ’at he wor tryin to coax into a mustash.  Sundy coom at last, an’ what wi curlin’ his hair, an’ practisin’ all sooarts o’ nods an’ bows i’th’ front o’th’ lukkin’-glass it filled up th’ furst pairt o’th’ day.  He started off i’ gooid time an’ wor at th’ meetin’ place to a minit, an’ shoo worn’t long after him.

It’s a gooid job at happiness is short-lived, for if his had lasted long he’d ha gooan cleean off th’ side.  Ivvery Sundy neet he tuk her for a walk, an’ what delighted him moor nor all wor to find ’at shoo worn’t a bit stuck up—­real ladies nivver are.  He gate to know ’at her name wor Matilda, an’ ‘at shoo wor nobbut twenty-five year old, an’ had two nice little properties ov her own, an’ he tell’d her ’at he had a share in a big consarn, an’ after they’d met an’ walked an’ tawk’d a few times he began ta be varry anxious for her to name th’ happy day.  Shoo made a lot o’ excuses an’ sed shoo didn’t know what her father ’d say, but Dick sooin showed her ’at it wor a varry easy thing ta manage it withaht lettin’ him know, an’ he begged soa hard wol, after a deeal o’ sobbin’ an’ gettin’ him to sware ’at he’d allus love her as weel as he did just then, an’ ’at come what wod he’d nivver forsake her, shoo gave her consent.

When Dick bid her gooid neet an’ had watched her in at th’ gate, he couldn’t help turnin’ raand an’ smilin’ at th’ idea ’at in a few days he’d be son-in-law to a gentleman ‘at lived i’ sich a style as that.  Ther wor nowt for it but to be wed bi licence, an’ hah to get th’ brass Dick couldn’t tell, but at last he detarmined to tell one ov his shopmates all abaht it, an’ ax him to advance him twenty paand, to be paid back as sooin as he gate th’ properties.  Th’ chap agreed to let him have it if he’d give him five paand for interest, an’ th’ bargain wor sooin struck.  Dick lost noa time i’ gettin’ th’ licence, an’ they met one mornin’ an’ went to th’ church, an’ wor teed as fast as th’ law o’th’ land could do it.  He didn’t know what shoo’d say when he tuk her to his hooam, for it wor nobbut a haase an’ chamer an’ varry little furnitur, tho’ he’d fettled it up an’ made it lewk as smart as he could.  They went to a public-haase to ther dinner, an’ then they tuk a long raand abaat way hooam, an’ as they kept callin’ for a refresher it wor neet when they landed.