you have been saying to Miss Lawrie?" began Mr
Whittlestaff, with all the dignity of anger.

"What have I been saying of to Miss Mary?"

"I am not at all well pleased with you."

"I haven't said a word again you, sir, nor not again nothing as you
are likely to do."

"Miss Lawrie is to become my wife."

"So I hears her say."

There was something of a check in this--a check to Mr Whittlestaff's
pride in Mary's conduct. Did Mrs Baggett intend him to understand
that Mary had told the whole story to the old woman, and had boasted
of her promotion?

"You have taught her to think that she should not do as we have
proposed,--because of your wishes."

"I never said nothing of the kind,--so help me. That I should put
myself up again you, sir! Oh no! I knows my place better than that. I
wouldn't stand in the way of anything as was for your good,--or even
of what you thought was good,--not to be made housekeeper to-- Well,
it don't matter where. I couldn't change for the better, nor wages
wouldn't tempt me."

"What was it you said about going away?"

Here Mrs Baggett shook her head. "You told Miss Lawrie that you
thought it was a shame that you should have to leave because of her."

"I never said a word of the kind, Mr Whittlestaff; nor yet, sir, I
don't think as Miss Lawrie ever said so. I'm begging your pardon for
contradicting you, and well I ought. But anything is better than
making ill-blood between lovers." Mr Whittlestaff winced at being
called a lover, but allowed the word to pass by. "I never said
nothing about shame."

"What did you say?"

"I said as how I must leave you;--nothing but that. It ain't a matter
of the slightest consequence to you, sir."

"Rubbish!"

"Very well, sir. I mustn't demean me to say as anything I had said
wasn't rubbish when you said as it was-- But for all that, I've got
to go."

"Nonsense."

"Yes, in course."

"Why have you got to go?"

"Because of my feelings, sir."

"I never heard such trash."

"That's true, no doubt, sir. But still, if you'll think of it, old
women does have feelings. Not as a young one, but still they're
there."

"Who's going to hurt your feelings?"

"In this house, sir, for the last fifteen years I've been top-sawyer
of the female gender."

"Then I'm not to marry at all."

"You've gone on and you haven't,--that's all. I ain't a-finding no
fault. But you haven't,--and I'm the sufferer." Here Mrs Baggett
began to sob, and to wipe her eyes