about marriage to Milly or Unity while
Hannah Jolliver was in question. So they sat a little closer and closer,
their feet upon the foot-board and their shoulders touching, and Tony
thought over and over again how handsome Hannah was. He spoke tenderer
and tenderer, and called her "dear Hannah" in a whisper at last.

'"You've settled it with Milly by this time, I suppose," said she.

'"N-no, not exactly."

'"What? How low you talk, Tony."

'"Yes--I've a kind of hoarseness. I said, not exactly."

'"I suppose you mean to?"

'"Well, as to that--" His eyes rested on her face, and hers on his. He
wondered how he could have been such a fool as not to follow up Hannah.
"My sweet Hannah!" he bursts out, taking her hand, not being really able
to help it, and forgetting Milly and Unity, and all the world besides.
"Settled it? I don't think I have!"

'"Hark!" says Hannah.

'"What?" says Tony, letting go her hand.

'"Surely I heard a sort of little screaming squeak under those sacks?
Why, you've been carrying corn, and there's mice in this waggon, I
declare!" She began to haul up the tails of her gown.

'"Oh no; 'tis the axle," said Tony in an assuring way. "It do go like
that sometimes in dry weather."

'"Perhaps it was . . . Well, now, to be quite honest, dear Tony, do you
like her better than me? Because--because, although I've held off so
independent, I'll own at last that I do like 'ee, Tony, to tell the
truth; and I wouldn't say no if you asked me--you know what."

'Tony was so won over by this pretty offering mood of a girl who had been
quite the reverse (Hannah had a backward way with her at times, if you
can mind) that he just glanced behind, and then whispered very soft, "I
haven't quite promised her, and I think I can get out of it, and ask you
that question you speak of."

'"Throw over Milly?--all to marry me! How delightful!" broke out Hannah,
quite loud, clapping her hands.

'At this there was a real squeak--an angry, spiteful squeak, and
afterward a long moan, as if something had broke its heart, and a
movement of the empty sacks.

'"Something's there!" said Hannah, starting up.

'"It's nothing, really," says Tony in a soothing voice, and praying
inwardly for a way out of this. "I wouldn't tell 'ee at first, because I
wouldn't frighten 'ee. But, Hannah, I've really a couple of ferrets in a
bag under there, for rabbiting, and they quarrel sometimes. I don't wish
it knowed, as 'twould