As sooin as ivver they entered th’ door he began to mak all sooarts o’ excuses abaat it bein’ humble, but shoo stopt him in a minit, for shoo sed ‘shoo didn’t care hah little it wor soa long as shoo wor th’ mistress, for shoo’d getten reight daan stall’d o’ sarvice.’  ‘Why,’ he sed, ‘tha knaws nowt abaat sarvice Matilda, dear?’ ’Aw should think aw owt to do,’ shoo sed, ‘for aw’ve been i’ place ivver sin aw could walk ommost.’  Dick stared like a throttled cat for a minit, for he couldn’t believe his awn ears.  ‘Aren’t ta thi father’s dowter?’ he sed.  ’Why aw should think soa—­whose dowter does ta think aw am?’ ’But isn’t that thi father ‘at lives i’ yond big haase?’ ‘What are ta tawkin abaat?’ shoo sed, ‘why th’ chap ‘at lives i’ that haase is one o’th’ richest chaps i’ Briggus—­aw wor nobbut th’ haasemaid thear—­my father lives at Salterhebble, an’ hawks watter cress.’  ’Why then, whear did ta get thi two properties ‘at tha tell’d me tha had?’ Matilda sat daan in a cheer, an’ covered her face wi her handkertchy, an’ began cryin’ as if her heart wor braikin.

This touched Dick, for he wor ov a tender sooart, an’ he did like her after all, soa he drew his cheer to her side, an’ put his arm raand her waist an’ tawk’d pratly to her an’ tell’d her shoo shouldn’t ha sed shoo had ’em if shoo hadn’t.  ‘But it’s true eniff,’ shoo sed; ’aw wish it worn’t, for that’s what causes me to have sich an uneasy mind.’  ’Why what’s th’ reason on it?  Is ther some daat as to who’s th’ reight owner?  Or is ther a morgage on ’em?  Give ower freeatin’, an if it’s a fine day to-morn we’ll goa an’ luk at ’em.’  ’Ther’s noa daat who belangs to ’em; a woman has ’em aght at nurse at Sowerby Brig.’  ’At nurse?  At nurse?  What does ta mean?  An’ is that what tha ment bi thi two properties?  Tha’rt a deceitful gooid-for-nowt!  To think ’at aw should wed a woman wi two childer!’ ’Why, tha didn’t expect aw should have two elephans, did ta?  But tha needn’t let it bother thee mich, for one ’em’s a varry little en.’  ‘Awst nivver be able to put mi heead aght o’th’ door ageean as long as aw live.’  ‘Nivver heed, lad, awl stop at hooam an’ keep thee cumpny.’  ’Well, but awl tell thee, tha’ll be suckt, for aw hevn’t a penny i’th’ world, an’ awm nowt but a warp dresser, an’ cannot addle aboon two-an’-twenty shillin’ a wick, an’ awm ovver heead an’ heels i’ debt, soa tha’ll be capt abaat that!’ ’Nay awm nooan capt, coss aw knew it all monny a wick sin, for aw made it i’ mi way to mak a few enquiries, an’ if tha’rt satisfied aw am, an’ ther’s nubdy else owt to do wi it.’  ’Aw’ve getten quite enuff to satisfy me, but tha can bet thi booits if it’s ivver my luck to goa coortin ageean, awl mak it i’ my way to mak a few enquiries.’  ’Well, it’s allus safer but aw dooant think tha’ll ivver have th’ chonce for nooan o’ awr family dee young, but here’s a two-a-three paand aw’ve managed to save, an’ it’ll happen help to pay some o’ thi debts.  What time is it? aw feel sleepy.’  ’Aw think it’s time to lock up.’  Two days after, Dick sell’d up an’ they went to America; he’s been thear monny a year nah, an’ th’ last time aw heeard on him he’d getten some moor properties.