“His braikfast’s all ready nah, an aw’ll tak it to bed to him, an if he’s wakkened up in a daycent temper aw’ll have a tawk to him.”

Sammywell had just wakkened when shoo went in wi it.  “A’a!  Mally, lass,” he sed when he saw his braikfast, “Aw dooan’t know whativver aw mud do but for thee!”

“Is thi heead onny better?”

“Aw nivver felt better i’ mi life.  It’s a shame to put thee to all this trubble, for aw could ha getten up to it.”

“It’s noa trubble, Sammywell, an aw wodn’t care owt abaat trubble if tha’d nobbut try an behave thisen, an net spaik to me i’th way tha does.  Awm sewer sometimes, when tha gets into one o’ thi tantrums aw feel as if ther wor nowt left for me to live for.  If tha’d nobbut try to reform a bit,—­if tha’d be as tha used to be forty or fifty year sin, aw should be th’ happyest woman within saand o’th taan hall chimes.  Get that into thi an tha’ll happen feel better.  Aw mun goa becoss its weshin day, an aw’ve an extra wesh, for awr Hepsabah’s sent all Jerrymier’s clooas at he’s worn for this last fortnit, an he does mucky a seet o’ brats an stuff.”

“Jerrymier agean!  What the duce has ta to do wi weshin Jerrymier’s clooas!  Let her wesh em hersen.  Aw’ve just studden this wol awm stall’d!”

“Thear tha goas agean!  If onnybody says a word to thee tha flies off in a passhion.  Aw know what awr poor Hepsabah has to do an tha doesn’t.  Tha’d nivver ha gooan on like that when we wor wed at furst.”

“Noa! but ther wor noa Jerrymier then!”

“Ther’d ha been noa Jerrymier nah if it hadn’t ha been for thee.  Tha cannot get ovver th’ fact ’at tha’rt his gronfather.  But aw mun be off for standin tawkin to thee willn’t get th’ clooas weshed.”

“It’s a drop o’ rare gooid teah is this,—­aw wonder if shoo’s mixed it hersen, if net shoo should allus buy at that shop.  Aw dooant think ther’s a chap onnywhear ’at’s a better wife nor aw’ve getten, an aw can’t help thinkin sometimes at aw dooant treeat her just as aw owt to do.  Aw think it’s abaat time aw altered things.  Shoo wants me to reform, an do as aw used to do when we wor wed at furst.  Well, aw can hardly manage that, but aw remember th’ time ’at aw used to mak a gooid bit a fuss on her, an used to spaik moor lovinly like.  Awm blessed if aw dooant try it on agean!  If a little thing like that’ll suit her, shoo’s worthy on it an shoo shall have it.  Aw’ve had a gooid braikfast, an aw could ha supt a gallon o’ that teah if awd had it.—­It’s th’ weshin day, an aw used to give her a help sometimes, an aw’ll do it agean.”

When Sammywell gate daan staars th’ place wor full o’ steeam an th’ smell o’ sooapsuds, but he didn’t put on his hat an goa aght, but he crept up cloise beside her an slippin his arm raand her waiste, he sed, “Mally, lass, connot aw help thi a bit?”

“What are ta up to nah!  Aw know thy tricks ov old!  Tha thinks tha can put thi hand i’ mi pocket an tak th’ last shillin we have i’th haase!  But awm too old fashioned for thi.  Ger aght o’ this hoil or aw’ll claat thi ovver thi heead wi this blanket!”