sky at home on a June day!' I made a good shot, I told en.
'A good bit o' colour, I d' 'low!' (Him bein' a sallow man, d'ye see.)
'A pair o' cheeks like roses,' he says; 'and a little neck as
white--as the snow--nay, that's too cold--'tis more like the white of
a white flower, bless her!'"

Mrs. Baverstock threw herself back in her chair and snorted.

"This here be a pretty kind o' story to tell your mother the very
first day as you do come home," she said, in trembling tones. "And the
poor, innocent child a-sittin' there a-listenin' to every word."

"Nay, now, ma'am, you must hear me to the end," cried Caines, bursting
into a guffaw; while Dick, looking somewhat conscience-stricken,
patted his mother's hand and besought her in a loud whisper not to
take on.

"Lard bless 'ee, that weren't all!" exclaimed Billy. "You should ha'
heerd the chap a-ravin' about her little hands, and her darlin' little
feet, and I don't know what all. 'And what colour mid her hair be?' I
axed him arter a bit, when he'd a-told me everythink else he could
call to mind. 'I s'pose her hair be fair?' 'I s'pose so,' says he,
lookin' a bit queer. 'Why, don't ye know?' says I. 'D'ye mean to say
ye've forgot the colour?' 'Why,' says he, 'to tell 'ee the truth,
mate, she hadn't much hair o' any kind when last I did see her.'
'Bless us!' says I. 'What be talkin' on? Ye haven't been and took up
wi' a bald wold maid?' 'She bain't so very old,' says he, and he did
pull blanket up o'er his mouth so as I shouldn't see en laughin'!"

Here the hero of the tale startled his mother by suddenly exploding,
and she turned upon him indignantly.

"I do really think as we've a-had enough o' this here nonsense. I
can't make head or tail on't. You and your friend do seem to be
a-keepin' up a regular charm, and I can't make out no sense in it."

"I be very nigh done now, missis," cried Caines jubilantly; "there be
but a little bit more. I did sit and stare at en when he did say his
sweetheart hadn't no hair, and at last I did ax en the question
straight out, 'How old mid she be when you did last see her?' 'About
two months,' says he. Ho, ho, ho! 'About two months!' Yes, I've a-been
away from England a good bit, an' when I left her she hadn't a hair on
her head, nor yet a tooth in her mouth.' And the two of us did laugh
and laugh till we did very nigh bust our bandages."

"'Twas the little maid I did mean," explained Dick, as his mother
still stared gapingly fro