“Aw think tha must ha been aitin summat ’at’s disagreed wi thi, owd lass, for tha’s done nowt but grummel this last two-o’-three days.  Tha caars i’th’ haase too mich.  Tha sees tha connot ride a bicycle, an tha’d hardly like to be seen ridin in a wheelbarro, or else awd trundle thee abaat for an hour or two ivvery day, an awr Hepsabah’s peramberlater wod’nt hold thi, if it wod it ud find Jerrymier summat to do an keep him aght o’ mischief.  Then ther’s plenty o’ tram-cars, but tha allus says tha feels smoor’d when tha rides i’ one o’ them, soa awm fast what to do amang it.”

“Dooant bother thisen.—­Aw’st get a ride one o’ theas days as far as th’ cemetary, an aw shall’nt hav long to wait unless things alter pretty sooin.”

“Well, what wod ta advise me to do?”

“It’s too lat on ith’ day for thee to come to me for advice.  Do thi own way, but when tha’s lost me tha’ll miss me,—­mark that.  Tha’ll nivver find another to do for thi as aw’ve done.”

“Aw hooap net,—­but aw hav’nt lost thi yet, an aw dooant want to.  But aw’ve just getten a nooation!  Awm capt aw nivver thowt on it befoor!  Aw’ll goa see abaat it this varry minnit!  Tha shall be reight set up this time.  Just have a bit o’ patience, an aw’ll be back in an haar’s time.”

“Thear tha gooas agean!  If aw say a word to thee tha flies off after some wild goois eearand an manages to mak thisen into a bigger fooil nor tha art.  Tell me what tha meeans to do?”

“Aw’ll tell thi all abaat it when aw come back, an aw weant belong.”

“Well dooant goa an get owt to sup.  If tha’rt detarmined to have it, buy some an bring it hooam wi thi, for aw believe tha spaiks trewth when tha sed aw’d getten summat at disagreed wi me, for mi stummack’s been varry kittle for a day or two.”

“All reight, lass!  Keep thi pecker up, an aw’ll bring thi raand all reight.”  An Sammywell set off.

------------

“Aw wish aw’d nivver spokken,” sed Mally, as shoo watched him pass th’ winder.  “He’s getten that bankbook in his pocket, an he’ll as sewer goa an squander some moor brass as he’s livin.  He isn’t fit to be trusted.  He meeans weel enuff, but he’s soa simple.  Net but what ther’s war nor him if yo knew whear to find ’em, an aw believe he tries to do his best, but that isn’t mich to crack on.  Hasumivver, aw mun put up wi it, soa aw’ll get thi drinkin ready, for he sed he wod’nt be long.”

It didn’t tak her long befoor shoo’d made as temptin an comfortable a meal as onny reasonable chap could desire, an then shoo set daan to wait wi as mich patience as shoo could.  Darkness wor creepin on an shoo’d ommost getten stall’d o’ watchin th’ clock, when ther wor a queer grindin sooart ov a noise aghtside, an in another minnit Sammywell come in.

“Nah, lass!  Tha sees aw hav’nt been varry long an aw’ve browt thi summat.  Bring a leet an have a luk at it.”

“Whativver is it?” shoo sed, as shoo coom to th’ door wi a cannel in her hand.  “Whativver has ta getten?” shoo sed, as shoo walked raand it.