kin abaat her, an' awm just studdyin
abaat gooin to see her to neet.'

'Why, lad, art ta reight i' thi heead, thinks ta? Doesn't ta know what
sooart ov a chap her fayther is?'

'Aw should think aw do! Aw've nooan traded wi' him soa long withaat
findin him aght.'

'Well, awm nowt agean thi cooartin, but aw think tha mud ha fun sumdy
likelier nor Bessy; for tha'll nobbut be wastin thi time, tha may depend
on't. They'll have to be sumdy better nor thee 'at gets Bessy.'

'Better nor me! Waw, aw wonder whean yo'll find him! For aw can wrastle
ony chap mi own weight, an' aw'll set misen agean th' world for bein a
judge ov a gooid maily puttate. Nah, if yo think awm gooin a beggin for
her to owd Stooansnatch yo're off yor horse, for awm net. Awm baan to ax
her th' furst, an' if shoo says 'Eea,' aw'l sooin work owd Stooansnatch
into th' mind.'

'Why, lad, aw dooan't know what's getten into thi heead, but ther niver
wor one o' awr family went cracked afoor, an' aw hooap tha'll come
raand.'

'Nah, mother, yo dooant know all 'at aw know, but aw'l just let yo into
a bit ov a saycret. Nah, aw've nooaticed 'at Bessy allus blushes when
shoo comes to buy owt o' me, an' shoo luks onywhear else rayther nor
shoo'll luk at me; an' shoo strokes th' owd donkey's nooas an' maks a
fuss on him, an' even gies him th' carrot tops, an' he munches' em up
an' luks at me as mich as to say--'This is her Joa; spaik up like a man
an' tha'll win;' an' latly he's begun to rawt as sooin as iver we've
getten into th' end o' th' street, an' aw tak that for a gooid sign, for
yo know Jerusalem wod do owt for me. An' nah as aw've finished mi supper
aw'll be off.'

'Well, lad, aw wish thi weel, but awm feeard. Aw think if aw wor thee aw
should want summat moor nor a donkey rawtin to set me off o' sich a
eearand as that. Listen! does ta hear it nah? It's a rawtin agean. Can
ta tell me what that means?'

'Nay, by gow, aw dooant know. Aw think it must meean 'luk sharp.''

'Aw think it meeans tha'rt a choolter heead, that's what aw think.'

'Neer heed, mother; yo'll see when aw come back.'

Soa off Joa went, full o' faith. When he gate aghtside, th' mooin wor
just risin, an' th' stars wor sparklin up i'th' sky, an' all wor clear
an' still. It wor a gooid two miles to Bessy's, an' he'd time to think a
bit; an' he kept turnin over in his mind what his mother had sed abaght
gooin cracked, an' he began to have some daats as to whether he wor
altogether squ