“Yo mun know,” sed David, “’at befoor aw gate wed an coom to live here, aw lived in a little haase in a fold cloise to Halifax Parish Church,—­it isn’t thear nah, for it’s been pool’d daan to mak way for improvements o’ differernt sooarts,—­an awd an idea at that time ’at aw should like to live thear all mi life, an awd noa thowts aw should iver get wed.”

“Its a pity tha ivver altered thi mind,” said Dolly.

“Well, happen soa,—­but let me tell mi tale i’ mi awn way an it’ll be finished soa mich sooiner.  One Setterdy aw donn’d misen up i’ mi Sundy clooas an went for a walk throo th’ market, an when aw coom to th’ butter-cross aw saw a chap ’at had a cock an two hens in a basket for sale, an he offered ’em to me for ten shillin’.  ‘Ten fiddlesticks!’ aw sed, ‘awl gie thee five,’ an he put on a luk as if awd stab’d him to th’ heart, an begun tellin’ me hah mich they’d cost him, an ’at he’d nivver ha tried to sell ’em but he wor behund wi his rent, an wor foorced to pairt wi ’em to keep th’ bums aght, an he assured me they wor layin’ ivvery day.  But th’ fact wor, aw didn’t want ’em at onny price, for aw’d noa place to put ’em, an aw tell’d him soa.  ‘Well,’ he sed, ’gie me three hawf craans an tha shall have ’em, for aw think tha’ll luk weel after ’em an aw wodn’t like ’em to be ooined.’  ‘Nay,’ aw sed, ’aw weant gie aboon five shillin’, for awm nooan i’ want on ’em.’  ’If tha weant, tha weant,’ he sed, soa that settles it, but awd rayther let th’ bums tak away nearly ivvery stick aght o’th’ haase nor awd take a farden less nor seven shillin’; that’s th’ lowest aw ivver will tak, an if tha doesn’t buy’em at that price tha’ll rue, for tha’ll niver have sich a chonce ageean.’  ‘Well, then, awst be like to rue,’ aw sed, ’for aw weant gie thee a hawpny moor nor five shilin’.’  ‘Tha’rt a hard un,’ he sed, ’but If tha’ll promise me tha’ll treat ’em weel, an at tha’ll nivver tell anybody what tha’s gien for ’em, tha shall have ’em for six shillin’; nah, tha cannot say noa to that.  Two hens an’ a cock!  Why it’s nobbut two shillin’ a-piece, an they’re as cheap as muck at hawf a sovrin’ aw think tha doesn’t understand th’ hen trade.  Awm fair sham’d to offer’ em at sich a price, an awm sewer aw hardly dar goa hooam wi th’ brass.”  ‘Nay,’ aw sed, ’one word’s just as gooid as a thaasand wi me, an awl stick to what aw sed, an if yo like to tak five shillin’ awl buy’ em, an if net yo can keep’ em.’  ‘Tak’ em wi thee,’ he sed; soa aw pottered aght five shillin’, an he began bawlin’ ‘Sowld agean’ an aw had ’em under mi arms ommost afoor aw knew what aw wor dooin, an as aw wor walkin’ away he pool’d me to one side to luk at another basketful.  ‘Nah,’ he sed, ’yo’d better buy theeas, yo can have ’em at th’ same price, an they’re better nor them.  Wod yo like a two-or-three ducks or a couple o’ pigeons?’ ‘Aw want noa moor to-day,’ aw sed, ’but awst like to know if all theeas belang to yo?’ ‘All tha sees i’ this row belangs to me,’ he sed, ’an if tha