ide, fer that's w'ere it ketches yer."

"'Ere, 'old 'ard! Can't a bloke git a word in edgeways?"

Mrs Yabsley stopped, with an odd smile on her face.

Jonah stared at her with a perplexed frown, and then the words came in
a rush.

"Look 'ere, missis, I wasn't goin' ter let on, but since yer on fer a
straight talk, I tell yer there's more in me than yer think, an' if
it's up ter me ter git married, I can do it without gittin' roused on
by yous."

"Keep yer 'air on, Joe," said Mrs Yabsley, smiling. "I didn't mean ter
nark yer, but yer know wot I say is true. An' don't say I ever put it
inter yer 'ead ter git married. You've studied the matter, an' yer
know it means 'ard graft an' plenty of worry. There's nuthin' in it,
Joe, as yer said, an' besides, the Push is waitin' for yer.

"Of course, there's no 'arm in yer comin' 'ere ter see the kid, but I
'ope yer won't stand in Ada's way w'en she gits a chance. There's Tom
Mullins, that was after Ada before she ever took up wi' yous. Only
last week 'e told Mrs Jones 'e'd take Ada, kid an' all, if he got the
chance. I know yous don't want a wife, but yer shouldn't 'inder others
as do."

"Yer talkin' through yer neck," cried Jonah, losing his temper.

"Suppose I tell yer that the kid's done the trick, an' I want ter git
married, an' bring 'im up respectable?"

The old woman was silent, but a wonderful smile lit up her face.

"Yer've got a lot ter say about the feelin's. Suppose I tell yer
there's somethin' in me trembles w'en I touch this kid? I felt like a
damned fool at first, but I'm gittin' used to it."

"That's yer own flesh an' blood a-callin' yer, Joe," cried Mrs Yabsley,
in ecstasy--"the sweetest cry on Gawd's earth, for it goes to yer very
marrer."

"That's true," said Jonah, sadly; "an' 'e's the only relation I've got
in the wide world, as far as I know. More than that, 'e's the only
livin' creature that looks at me without seein' my hump."

It was the first time in Mrs Yabsley's memory that Jonah had mentioned
his deformity. A tremor in his voice made her look at him sharply.
Tears stood in his eyes. With a sudden impulse she stopped and patted
his head.

"That's all right, Joe," she said, gently. "I was only pullin' yer
leg. I wanted yer to do the straight thing by Ada, but I wasn't sure
yer'd got a 'eart, till the kid found it. But wot will the Push say
w'en ..."

"The Push be damned!" cried Jonah.

"Amen ter that," said Mrs Yabsle