acquiescence with his wife's speech.

"My dear mother and dad," Jack said, "there must be no talk of parting
between us. As yet, of course, it is too soon to form plans for the
future; but be assured that there will be no parting. You took me when I
was a helpless baby; but for you I should have been a workhouse child,
and might now be coming out of my apprenticeship to a tinker or a
tailor. I owe all I have, all I am, to you; and whatever fortune befall
me you will still be dad and mother. For a short time I must go to the
hall, as Mr. Brook has invited me; and we shall have much to arrange and
talk over. Afterwards I suppose I shall have to go to the manager's
house, but, of course, arrangements will have to be made as to Mr.
Fletcher's widow and children; and when I go there, of course you will
come too."

"Thee'st a good un, lad," Bill Haden said, for Mrs. Haden's tears
prevented her speech; "but I doubt what thou say'st can be; but we
needn't talk that over now. But t' old 'ooman and I be none the less
glad o' thy words, Jack; though the bit and sup that thou had'st here
till you went into th' pit and began to pay your way ain't worth the
speaking o'. Thou beats me a'together, Jack. When un see's a good pup un
looks to his breed, and un finds it pure; but where thou get'st thy
points from beats me a'together. Thy mother were a schoolmaster's
daughter, but she had not the name o' being fond o' larning, and was
a'ways weak and ailing; thy dad, my mate Jack Simpson, was as true a
mate as ever man had; but he were in no ways uncommon. The old 'ooman
and I ha' reared ye; but, arter all, pups don't follow their
foster-mother, for the best bull pup ain't noways injured by having a
half-bred un, or for the matter o' that one wi' no breed at all, as a
foster-mother; besides the old 'ooman and me has no points at all, 'cept
on my part, such as are bad uns; so it beats me fairly. It downright
shakes un's faith in breeding."

Here Harry's tap was heard at the door, and Jack, leaving Bill Haden to
ponder over his egregious failure in proving true to blood, joined his
friend outside.

Scarce a word was spoken between the two young men as they walked across
to Nelly Hardy's little cottage by the schoolhouse. The candles were
already lighted, and Nelly rose as they entered.

"My dear Nelly."

"My dear Jack," she said, throwing her arms round his neck as a sister
might have done, and kissing him, for the first time in her li