Tackleton. Hollow as a drum that laugh, though. And he
looked as if he could have twisted Dot's neck comfortably.

"Dear, dear!" said Dot. "Only to remember how we used to talk, at
school, about the husbands we would choose. I don't know how young, and
how handsome, and how gay, and how lively mine was not to be! And as to
May's!--Ah dear! I don't know whether to laugh or cry, when I think what
silly girls we were."

May seemed to know which to do; for the colour flashed into her face,
and tears stood in her eyes.

"Even the very persons themselves--real live young men--we fixed on
sometimes," said Dot. "We little thought how things would come about. I
never fixed on John, I'm sure; I never so much as thought of him. And,
if I had told you you were ever to be married to Mr. Tackleton, why,
you'd have slapped me. Wouldn't you, May?"

Though May didn't say yes, she certainly didn't say no, or express no,
by any means.

Tackleton laughed--quite shouted, he laughed so loud. John Peerybingle
laughed too, in his ordinary good-natured and contented manner; but his
was a mere whisper of a laugh to Tackleton's.

"You couldn't help yourselves, for all that. You couldn't resist us, you
see," said Tackleton. "Here we are! Here we are! Where are your gay
young bridegrooms now?"

"Some of them are dead," said Dot; "and some of them forgotten. Some of
them, if they could stand among us at this moment, would not believe we
were the same creatures; would not believe that what they saw and heard
was real, and we _could_ forget them so. No! they would not believe one
word of it!"

"Why, Dot!" exclaimed the Carrier. "Little woman!"

She had spoken with such earnestness and fire, that she stood in need of
some recalling to herself, without doubt. Her husband's check was very
gentle, for he merely interfered, as he supposed, to shield old
Tackleton; but it proved effectual, for she stopped, and said no more.
There was an uncommon agitation, even in her silence, which the wary
Tackleton, who had brought his half-shut eye to bear upon her, noted
closely, and remembered to some purpose too.

May uttered no word, good or bad, but sat quite still, with her eyes
cast down, and made no sign of interest in what had passed. The good
lady her mother now interposed, observing, in the first instance, that
girls were girls, and bygones bygones, and that, so long as young people
were young and thoughtless, they would probably conduct themselv