'Yi! lass, but thaa art. Thaa wor mine afore th' devil geet howd
on thee, and thaa's bin mine all th' time he's bed thee, and now
he's done wi' thee, I mean to keep thee all to mysel.'

And afresh the mother bathed the still beautiful face of Amanda
with her tears.

But Amanda was firm. Old as her mother was, she knew that mother's
innocence, and shrank from the thought that one so pure, so
womanly, should hang on those lips so sorely blistered by the
breath of sin; and, once more stretching out her arm, she said:

'Durnd touch me, mother--durnd!'

''Manda,' cried the mother, defiantly and grandly, all the passion
of maternity rising in her heart, ''Manda, thaa cornd unmother me.
I carried thee and suckled thee and taught thee thi prayers in
that cheer, and doesn'd ta think as Him we co'd "Aar Faither" is
aar Faither still?'

'Happen He's yours, mother; but He's noan o' mine.'

'Well, 'Manda, if thaa'rt noan His child, thaa'rt mine, and naught
shall come 'tween me and thee.'

'And dun yo' mean to say that yo' love me as mich naa, mother, as
when aw wor a little un?' asked the girl, her steely eyes
moistening, and the firm line of her drawn mouth tremulous with
rising emotion.

'Yi, lass, and a thaasand times more. Thaa wants more luv' naa nor
then--doesn't ta? And hoo's a poor mother as connot give more when
more's wanted. I'm like th' owd well up th' hill yonder--th'
bigger th' druft (drought) th' stronger th' flow. Thi mother's
heart's noan dry, lass, tho' thi thirst's gone; and I'll luv' thee
though thaa splashes mi luv' back in mi face, and spills it on th'
graand.'

And a third time the woman fell on the girl's neck, and kissed her
flesh into flame with the passion of her caress.

'Durnd, mother! durnd!' said Amanda. 'Blame me, if yo' like; curse
me, if yo' like. But luv' I connot ston'; it drives me mad.'

'Nay, lass; luv' noan drives folk mad. It's sin as does that. As
Mr. Penrose towd 'em at Rehoboth t'other Sunday, it were luv' as
saved th' world, and not wrath; and they say they are baan to
bring him up at th' deacons' meeting abaat it. But he's reet. It's
luv' as saves. It's saved thee to me; it's kept mi heart warm, and
it's kept that lamp leeted every neet for five year.' And then,
seeing tears slowly stealing down her daughter's face, the old
woman said: 'I think we mud as weel put th' leet aat naa thaa's
comed wom', 'Manda?' and as the girl gave no more evidence of
resistance, the mother w