I met ha' knowed he'd be, seein' as he's bin brought up so
careful, an' took to water nateral fro' th' first."

Miss Heptonstall had been about to restore the liquor to its bottle,
but she now hesitated, looking towards Ted with a grim smile; his
style of humour tickled her. Seized with a sudden fit of generosity,
she extended the glass to him.

"You're noan teetotal, I'll be bound," she observed. "Theer! Sup it
up."

"Your 'ealth!" said Ted, nodding towards her, much elated. Joe again
cleared his throat tentatively, but Margaret ruthlessly corked the
bottle, and, assuming her usual frosty air, remarked with somewhat
scant politeness that it was time for her to be setting about her
business, and there was no need for other folks to be waiting.

Thereupon the "other folks" were constrained to depart, Ted being
still jubilant and Joe very glum.

"Well," began the former, as soon as they had advanced some paces, "t'
folks up yon 'ull laugh fit to split when they hear this tale! Th' owd
lady is a dacent sort o' body when all's said an' done. Hoo behaved
uncommon 'andsome to me."

"Ah," returned Joe with surly sarcasm, "uncommon 'andsome. Hoo gave
thee th' gander's leavin's, didn't hoo? Ho, ho! gander's leavin's."

Joe so seldom made a joke that he was quite astonished at himself, and
after three or four repetitions of the same, with much wagging of the
head, and a few knowing jerks of his thumb over his shoulder,
apparently to accentuate the point of the jest, he became quite
good-humoured again, and the pair walked on in amicable silence, each
preparing to astonish his cronies with the recital of his own prowess.

The Thornleigh Arms was a snug old-fashioned hostelry standing a
little back from the high-road. An air of homely jollity and comfort
seemed to pervade the place; the ruddy afternoon sun lit up the
small-paned windows with as cheerful a glow as that which in winter
was reflected from the roaring fire piled by old Jack half up the wide
chimney; the very Thornleigh lion of the imposing sign seemed to lean
confidentially on his toe and to grin affably, as though to assure the
passers-by of the good cheer within.

Ted and Joe found the usual Saturday customers already there, and
presently shouts of laughter made the very rafters ring as he
recounted his adventures with Margaret Heptonstall and her gander; his
companion meanwhile sipping his beer with an air of suppressed
importance. By-and-by he, too, woul