n.

"Well, that makes a difference, don't it now?" said Mrs Pinhorn. "Why
ever didn't you name that afore, Mr Dimbleby?"

"And," added Dimbleby, grinding on to the end of his speech regardless
of hindrance, like a machine that has been wound up; "and Mrs Leigh
herself is goin' to stand for the baby."

"Lor'! I do wish Mrs Greenways could a heard that," said Mrs Pinhorn;
"that'll set Mrs White up more than ever."

"It will so," said Mrs Wishing; "she allers did keep herself _to_
herself did Mrs White. Not but what she's a decent woman and a kind.
Seems as how, if Mrs Leigh wished to name the child `Lilac', she
couldn't do no other than fall in with it. But _I_ dunno."

"And how does the name strike you, Mr Snell?" said Mrs Pinhorn,
turning to a newcomer.

He was an oldish man, short and broad-shouldered, with a large head and
serious grey eyes. Not only his leather apron, but the ends of his
stumpy fingers, which were discoloured and brown, showed that he was a
cobbler by trade. When Mrs Pinhorn spoke to him, he fingered his cheek
thoughtfully, took off his hat, and passed his hand over his high bald
forehead.

"What name may you be alludin' to, ma'am?" he enquired very politely.

"The name `Lilac' as Mrs James White's goin' to call her child."

"Lilac--eh! Lilac White. White Lilac," repeated the cobbler musingly.
"Well, ma'am, 'tis a pleasant bush and a homely; I can't wish the maid
no better than to grow up like her name."

"Why, you wouldn't for sure wish her to grow up homely, would you now,
Mr Snell?" said Mrs Wishing with a feeble laugh.

"I _would_, ma'am," replied Mr Snell, turning rather a severe eye upon
the questioner, "I _would_. For why? Because to be homely is to make
the common things of home sweet and pleasant. She can't do no better
than that."

Mrs Wishing shrank silenced into the background, like one who has been
reproved, and the cobbler advanced to the counter to exchange greetings
with Mr Dimbleby, and buy tobacco. The women's voices, the sharp
ticking of the clocks, and the deeper tones of the men kept up a steady
concert for some time undisturbed. But suddenly the door was thrown
violently back on its hinges with a bang, and a tall man in labourer's
clothes rushed into their midst. Everyone looked up startled, and on
Mrs Wishing's face there was fear as well as surprise when she
recognised the newcomer.

"Why, Dan'l, my man," she exclaimed, "what is it?"

Daniel was