eel, sir, aw'll give it up."

Owd Mothersdale grinned, an thowt ha nicely he wor payin him off for th'
neet befoor, then he shoved a sheet o' paper across th' table, an Sydney
wrote on it that he promised nivver to smook no mooar wol th' owd chap
consented.

"Aw shall nivver consent," sed Mr. Mothersdale, "haivver it doesn't
matter. Nah, Mabel, gie me a kiss, an then yo an Mister Horne can run
away an talk things ovver."

Mabel kissed him, an went away wi Sydney, but when shoo axed him
afterwards what th' joke wor he'd promised to tell her, he pretended
he'd forgetten.

They wor wed at Midsummer, an Sydney kept his word abaat smookin--he
started chewin, an suckin owd empty pipes, but it worn't like smookin,
an whenivver he smelt th' reek ov a cigar it fair set him longin, but
like a man owt to do, he didn't braik his promise.

----------------

Abaat a year after, when they wor baan to cursen th' babby, Mabel's
father wor ax'd to th' ceremony. Mabel wor vexed at Sydney couldn't
smook, becoss shoo knew ha fond he wor on it, soa th' afternooin her
father wor expected, shoo sed, "we'll cure papa ov his dislike to bacca
smook, or else we'll get him to let yo smook ageean."

"Hah'll yo do it, lass?"

"Wait an see," shoo sed, "yo shall smook a pipe to-neet."

He wondered ha it wor to be done, an at fower o'clock shoo sent him off
to th' stashun to meet her father.

When they gate back th' whole haase wor full o' bacca smook, in bedrooms
an passages, on th' steps, in th' sittin rooms, ther wor thick white
claads ov it.

"Oh, dear-a-me," sed Mr. Mothersdale, "whativvers this? Sydney yo've
brokken yor promise, an been smookin?"

"Aw haven't," Sidney sed, "nivver a whif hav aw smook'd sin th' day aw
promised."

"Noa," Mabel sed, "we've faand a better way nor that, we're booath fond
o'th reek o' bacca, soa we get a fumigatin thing aght o'th greenhaase,
and burn bacca in it, it sents all th' haase i' noa time, an saves
Sydney all th' trubble o' puffin away at pipes an cigars."

He felt he wor done--he couldn't live i' sich a smook as that, soa he
tell'd Sydney at if he'd keep his smookin aght o'th raich o' his nooas,
he could start when he liked, providin they wodn't use th' fumigator noa
mooar.

Sidney slipt aght into th' back garden, an smook'd what he thowt wor th'
best cigar he'd ivver had in his life; an as it says in stooary books
"they all lived varry happy ivver afterwards."