'fore you come here. How do the lawyers an' p'licemen get their
living?"

"That's news. I hoped to save Miller Lyddon all such trouble."

"Why not try another way, an' see if you can get the auld gentleman to
forgive 'e?"

"Not him. He'll have the law in due time."

"Well, I'm 'mazin' sorry I caan't oblige 'e, for I'm sure we'd be gude
friends, an' you'd cheer us all up butivul."

"But you 'm certain it caan't be managed?"

"Positive."

"Then I've done all a man can. You'll bear witness I wanted to come,
won't 'e?"

"Oh yes, I'll take my oath o' that. _I_ shaan't forget 'e."

"All right. And if I'm sent here again, bimebye, I'll look out for you,
and I hopes you'll be as pleasant inside as now."

"I'll promise that. Shall be awnly tu pleased to make you at home. I
like you; though, to be frank, I reckon you'm tu gnat-brained a chap to
make a wife happy."

"Then you reckon a damned impedent thing! What d' you knaw 'bout it?"

"A tidy deal. I've been married more years than you have hours, I lay."

"Age ban't everything; 't is the fashion brains in a man's head counts
most."

"That's right enough. 'T is something to knaw that. Gude-bye to 'e,
bwoy, an' thank you for makin' me laugh heartier than I have this month
of Sundays."

"More fule you!" declared Will; but he was too elated at the turn of
affairs to be anything but amiable just now. Before the other
disappeared, he stopped him.

"Shake hands, will 'e? I thank you for lightenin' my mind--bein' a man
of law, in a manner of speakin'. Ess, I'm obliged to 'e. Of coourse I
doan't _want_ to come to prison 'zackly. That's common sense."

"Most feel same as you. No doubt you're in the wrong, though the law
caan't drop on honest, straightforrard matrimony to my knowledge. Maybe
circumstances is for 'e."

"Ess, they be--every jack wan of 'em!" declared Will. "An' if I doan't
come here to stop, I'll call in some day and tell 'e the upshot of this
coil in a friendly way."

"Do so, an' bring your missis. Shall be delighted to see the pair of 'e
any time. Ax for Thomas Bates."

Will nodded and marched off, while the warder returned to his post, and
when he had again made fast the door behind him, permitted the full
splendor of his recent experience to tumble over his soul in a laughter
perhaps louder than any heard before or since within the confines of one
of Her Majesty's prisons.

CHAPTER X

THE BRINGING OF THE NEWS

Phoebe meantime retu