got out of my butter-money.

Then I went off up the hill to the church after Mattie, even then
not making up my mind what I was going to do, but with an idea that
all things somehow might work together for good to me if I only had
the sense to see how, and turn things that way.

As I come up to the church I was just in time to see her old green
gown going in at the porch, and when I come up the key was in the
door, and she hadn't come out. Quick as thought, the idea come to me
to have a joke with her and lock her in, so she shouldn't meet him,
and next minute I had turned the key in the lock softly, and stole
off through the church porch, and up to the ash copse, which I
couldn't make a mistake about, for there's only one within a mile of
the church.

Jack was there, though it was before the time. I could see his blue
tie and white shirt-front shining through the trees.

When I locked her in I only meant to have a sort of joke--at least,
I think so,--but when I come close up to him and saw how well off he
looked, and the diamond ring on his fingers, and his pin and his
gold chain, I thought to myself--

'Well, you go to Liverpool to-morrow, young man! And she ain't got
your address, and, likely as not, if you go away vexed with her, you
won't leave it with your aunt, and one wife is as good as another,
if not better, and as for her caring for you, that's all affectation
and silliness--so here goes.'

He stepped forward, with his hands held out to me, but when he saw
it was me he stopped short.

'Why, Miss Jane,' he said, 'I beg your pardon. I was expecting quite
a different person.'

'Yes, I know,' I says, 'you was expecting my cousin Mattie.'

'And isn't she coming?' he asks very quick, looking at me full, with
his blue eyes.

'I hope you won't take it hard, Mr. Halibut,' says I, 'but she said
she'd rather not come.'

'Confound it!' says he.

'You see,' I went on, 'it's a long time since you was at home, and
you not writing or anything, and some girls are very flighty and
changeable; and she told me to tell you she was sorry if you were
mistaken in her feelings about you, and she's had time to think
things over since three years ago; and now you're so well off, she
says she's sure you'll find no difficulty in getting a girl suited
to your mind.'

'Did she say that?' he said, looking at me very straight. 'It's not
like her.'

'I don't mean she said so in those words, or that she told me to
tell you