so been Mrs. Cross's inward comment, on first
hearing of the effect produced by Mr. Robert Domeny on the
impressionable Mrs. Maidment; for if truth be told he was anything but
an Adonis. But she wisely kept her surprise to herself, and now once
more clicked her tongue in token of appreciation.

"'Now, Robert,' says I," continued Mrs. Domeny, resuming her narrative
tone, "'how would it be if we was to write to Brother John?'

"'What 'ud ye tell en?' says he; 'he'd mayhap not quite fancy the
notion o' takin' up wi' a woman he did never set eyes on.' 'You just
leave it to I,' says I; 'I bain't a-goin' to say nothin' at all about
wedlock. I'll jist ax en to come to tea next Sunday, and I'll tell en
as a very nice body what we've lately got acquainted wi' be a'
a-comin' to tea, too; an' I'll jist set down, careless-like, as she
have got a bank-book what is worth seein'. Jist no more nor that.'

"'Ah, that 'ud maybe do very well,' says Domeny, and we did put our
heads together, and between us the letter was wrote. Brother John sent
us word by the carrier as he was a-comin', and I did send off Janie
that same day to let Mrs. Maidment know, and Janie said her face did
fair flush up wi' j'y. She kissed the maid so affectionate, an' says
she, 'You be another Domeny, my dear. You must favour your Pa, I'm
sure, for you be a very vitty maid.'

"Well, Sunday did come, an' I did have a beautiful tea ready; muffins
and a bit o' cold ham--not so salt as poor Sarah's--and a pot o'
blackberry-an'-apple jam. Brother John were the first to come. He fair
give me a start, for I didn't expect en so early; he did put his head
in at the door, an' beckon this way, so secret-like." (Here there was
the usual accompaniment of appropriate gesture.)

"'Mary,' he whispered, 'Mary, be she come?'

"'Not yet, John,' says I.

"He did squeeze hisself very cautious round the door, lookin' to right
an' left, this way" (further pantomime). "'Mary,' says he, right in my
ear, 'have 'ee seen the bank-book?'

"'Nay, John,' says I; 'nay; 'twasn't to be expected, but I did hear,
John,' says I, 'as it were worth lookin' at.'

"He did sit him down then, an' did begin to whistle to hisself, an' to
rub his knees up and down. He had his best clothes on, an' the big
tall hat as he'd a-bought for the first poor Mrs. John's funeral. He
took it off after a while, and did keep turnin' it round and round in
his hands. 'Where's Robert?' says he, all to once.

"'Clea