d, "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."

"Tha's nowt to do wi that. It's me at's to pay for it!" soa in a few
minnits it wor packt in a box, an handed to her, an Sammywell tell'd her
to tak it an get aghtside an wait for him an he'd bi wi her as sooin as
he'd sattled for it. Hepsabah's face wor all smiles, tho' ther wor just
a glisten o' tears in her een as shoo went away.

"An nah, young woman," sed Sammywell, as he held his purse in his hand,
"ha mich do yo want?"

Shoo handed him th' bill, but he seemed as if he couldn't mak it aght,
soa he put on his spectacles. "This is a mistak, Miss," he sed, "aw've
nobbut agreed to pay for one."

"That's quite right, sir," shoo sed, "One hat,--twenty two and six."

"Twenty two fiddlesticks!"

"No, sir, twenty two shillings and six pence. That's not much for a
gentleman to pay for his wife's hat."

"But shoo isn't mi wife! Shoo's nobbut mi dowter!"

"No one would think you had a daughter so old;--you must have married
very young," sed th' young woman smilin at him in a way at made him feel
funny all ovver.

He sed noa moor but handed her two soverins; shoo gave him his change,
an he made th' best ov his way into th' street where Hepsabah wor waitin
for him; then he lained his back agean a lamp-pooast as if he wor too
waik to stand.

"Do yo feel sick, father?" sed Hepsabah.

"Eeah, aw think aw've getten a bit ov a sickener."

"It wor varry warm i' that shop."

"Eeah,--its th' hottest shop aw've ivver been in."

"Yo see, yo arn't used to buyin hats."

"Noa, an awm net likely to get used to it. Aw hooap thar't suited."

"O, father,--its a beauty! If aw can nobbut get my chap to buy me a
costume to match it!"

"Tha'll nivver do that, Hepsabah, becoss he connot. If he'd to buy thee
a costoom, as tha calls it, to match that, an pay for it at th' same
rate as aw've paid for that hat, it ud cost him aboon a thaasand paand!
What does to think it's cost me?"

"Aw can't guess."

"Twenty two shillin an sixpence! That's true whether tha believes it or
net."

"Is that all! Why its as cheap as muck."

"Well, mak th' best on it, for tha'll get noa moor muck at th' same
price aght o' me. But promise me at tha'll nivver tell thi mother! If
shoo'd to get to know shoo wodn't be able to sleep for a wick. It's a
scandlus shame, an aw've been swindle