comfort, I know, to them as are quiet given, like me. I
hate to see men knocking each other's heads about,--I do. So Mr
Cheesacre and the Captain won't fight, ma'am?"

"Of course they won't, you little fool, you."

"Dear, dear; I was so sure we should have had the papers all full of
it,--and perhaps one of them stretched upon his bloody bier! I wonder
which it would have been? I always made up my mind that the Captain
wouldn't be wounded in any of his wital parts--unless it was his
heart, you know, ma'am."

"But why should they quarrel at all, Jeannette? It is the most
foolish thing."

"Well, ma'am, I don't know about that. What else is they to do?
There's some things as you can cry halves about, but there's no
crying halves about this."

"About what, Jeannette?"--"Why, about you, ma'am."

"Jeannette, I wonder how you can say such things; as if I, in my
position, had ever said a word to encourage either of them. You know
it's not true, Jeannette, and you shouldn't say so." Whereupon Mrs
Greenow put her handkerchief to her eyes, and Jeannette, probably in
token of contrition, put her apron to hers.

"To be sure, ma'am, no lady could have behaved better through it than
you have done, and goodness knows you have been tried hard."

"Indeed I have, Jeannette."

"And if gentlemen will make fools of themselves, it isn't your fault;
is it, ma'am?"

"But I'm so sorry that they should have quarrelled. They were such
dear friends, you know;--quite all in all to each other."

"When you've settled which it's to be, ma'am, that'll all come right
again,--seeing that gentlefolks like them have given up fighting, as
you say." Then there was a little pause. "I suppose, ma'am, it won't
be Mr Cheesacre? To be sure, he's a man as is uncommonly well to do
in the world."

"What's all that to me, Jeannette? I shall ever regard Mr Cheesacre
as a dear friend who has been very good to me at a time of trouble;
but he'll never be more than that."

"Then it'll be the Captain, ma'am? I'm sure, for my part, I've always
thought the Captain was the nicer gentleman of the two,--and have
always said so."

"He's nothing to me, girl."

"And as for money,--what's the good of having more than enough? If he
can bring love, you can bring money; can't you, ma'am?"

"He's nothing to me, girl," repeated Mrs Greenow.

"But he will be?" said Jeannette, plainly asking a question.

"Well, I'm sure! What's the world come to, I wonder, when you