“Tha tawks as if tha wor gooin to get her a coffin asteead ov a hat.  Wimmen dooant get messured for hats.”

“Oh, dooant they.  Well, tell her to get ready an luk sharp.”

Mally left Sammywell smookin his pipe an went to carry gooid news to Hepsabah.

“Nah, Hepsabah lass,—­aw’ve managed to tawk thi father into th’ humour to buy thi a hat.  A’a! but aw’ve had a job!  Come this minnit for fear he changes his mind; an see tha gets a gooid en wol tha’s th’ chonce.”  Sammywell wor capt to see em back soa sooin, but tellin em to sit daan a bit wol he went up stairs, he left em an went to put summat into his purse, an wor rayther surprised at Mally didn’t follow to see ha mich he tuk, for he had to goa into a box whear they kept ther savins at wor nivver suppooased to be touched except on special occasions.

“Aw shalln’t need mich for a job o’ this sooart,” he sed, “if aw remember reightly that straw hat aw bowt last summer nobbut cost me eighteen pence, an shoo willn’t want one as big as that; but awst nooan be to two-a-three penoth o’ copper; an aw mud as weel have a bit extra to swagger wi.”  Soa he tuk a couple o’ soverins,—­ov coarse intendin to bring em back, an then hurried off wi Hepsabah as fast as he could for fear Mally wod ax some questions he didn’t want to answer.

“Whear are we to goa?” he axt as soon as they wor aght o’th seet o’th haase.

“Aw think Pinchems an Twitchems will be th’ best place,” sed Hepsabah.

“Just whearivver tha likes, an be sewer tha gets one to suit thi.”

When they gate to th’ shop, Sammywell felt like holdin back, for he’d nivver been i’ sich a place befoor, but he screwed his courage up, an tellin’ Hepsabah to lead th’ way he follered, feelin like a fish aght o’ watter.

Hepsabah walked in as if shoo owned th’ shop, an spaikin to a gentleman, they wor shown up stairs whear ther wor sich a lot o’ wimmin tryin hats on, an sich a lot o’ young lasses fussin abaat an attendin to em, wol Sammywell wor fairly flammergasted amang it.  One nice young woman browt him a cheer to sit on, but he darn’t ventur ’on it, for it lukt as if it wor made o’ black sealin wax, but Hepsabah flopt daan on it as if shoo’d been used to sittin o’ sich articles all her life.  Sammywell whispered to her to be as sharp as shoo could, an stood watchin what wor gooin on.  Then th’ young woman coom agean wi her armful o’ what lukt to be flaars an feathers an ribbins all jumbled in a lump, but which proved to be what they called hats, an as shoo put furst one an then another on to Hepsabah, he wor fairly surprised to discover what a bonny lukkin woman his dowter wor; an when shoo axt him which he liked best, he could nobbut say, “onny on em! suit thisen, lass!” an th’ young woman smiled at him an sed, “It’s nice when a gentleman likes to see his wife well dressed,” an Sammywell blushed an sed “Hem! hem!” but didn’t undeceive her.  After tryin on abaat a scoor, nooan seemin to exactly suit Hepsabah, th’ young woman browt another, an Sammywell’s e’en fairly sparkled.  “By th’ heart!” he sed, “but that’s what aw call a Bobby Dazzler!” an it wor plain to be seen at Hepsabah thowt soa too.  “Aw should like it,” shoo sed, “but awm feeared it’ll cost a lot.”