obody ever offered me money to do it; and your father
has said more than often when so singing, '_Be quiet, Martha_!' So his
father and mother did not give Harry Hatton any such foolish notions and
ways."

"Every good gift is from God, mother, and we ought not to belittle them,
ought we, now?"

"I'm sure I don't know, John. I've been brought up with cotton-spinners,
and it is little they praise, if it be not good yarns and warps and
wefts and big factories with high, high chimneys."

"Well, then, cotton-spinners are mostly very fine singers. You know
that, mother."

"To be sure, but they don't make a business of singing, not they,
indeed! They work while they sing. But to see a strapping young man in
evening dress or in some other queer make of clothes, step forward
before a crowd and throw about his arms and throw up his eyes and sing
like nothing that was ever heard in church or chapel is a stunningly
silly sight, John. I saw and heard a lot of such rubbishy singing and
dressing when I was in London."

"Still, I think we ought to be proud of Harry."

"Such nonsense! I'm more than a bit ashamed of him. I am that! You
can't respect people who _amuse_ you, like you do men who put their
hands to the world's daily work. No, you can not, John. I would have
been better suited if Harry had stuck to his painting business. He could
have done that in his own house, shut up and quiet like; but when I was
in London I saw pictures of Henry Hatton, of our Harry, mind ye, singing
in all makes and manners of fool dresses. I hope to goodness his father
does not know a Hatton man is exhibiting himself to gentle and simple in
such disreputable clothes. I have been wondering your father hasn't been
to see me about it."

"To see you, mother?"

"To be sure. If there's anything wrong at Hatton, he generally comes and
gives me his mind on the same."

"You mean that you dream he does?"

"You may as well call it 'dreaming' as anything else. The name you give
it doesn't matter, does it?"

"Not much, mother. I brought home with me two of Harry's paintings. They
are fine copies of famous pictures. I gave him fifty pounds for them and
thought them cheap at that."

"Well, then, if I was buying Harry's work, I would not count on its
cheapness. I'll be bound that you bought them as an excuse for giving
him money. I would buy or give away, one or the other. I hate
make-believes--I do that!--of all kinds and for all reasons, good or
bad