ld himself that love was at
best a fleeting passion.

Jane didn't say much to him herself, because in truth she would have a
thousand times sooner bided at Wych Elm with her parent than wed the busy
man of Little Silver; but Martin screwed himself to the pinch and urged
her to let there be a double wedding. He found her very evasive, however,
for hope hadn't died in Jane, and she knew by a good few signs her father
was hating the thought of losing her. The idea of Jane away from Wych Elm
caused him a lot of deep inconvenience, and Nelly Bascombe seemingly
weren't so much on his side as he had hoped. Of course the woman well knew
that life at Wych Elm would be far more unrestful with Jane than without
her, and so she rather took the maiden's view and tried to make John see
it might be better if his girl was to leave 'em. And this she did because
it happened, after a week had passed, she knew a lot more about the truth
than Mr. Warner could. He still clung to the hope that Jane was lying and
that no man wanted her; and even if such man existed, John, well
understanding that his daughter was not the sort to fill the male eye in
herself, doubted not that the lover would soon cry off if he heard Jane's
prospects were gone. He voiced this great truth to Nelly Bascombe, and
he'd have been a good bit surprised to know that on the very day he did
so, she reported his intentions word for word to the man most interested.
Because, when the situation unfolded, Martin Ball had gone to Mrs.
Bascombe in hope to get some useful aid from her.

They were acquaint, because Nelly sold Ball's honey in her shop, but more
than that Martin didn't know of the woman. She had a good name for sense,
however, and when he heard that she had taken Warner, he saw what her
power must now be in that quarter and asked for a tell in private. Which
she was agreeable to give him, and in truth they saw each other a good few
times and traversed over the situation most careful.

Nelly had a way to understand men and she listened to Martin and liked the
frank fashion he faced life. He was honest as the day, though fretting a
bit because Jane Warner wouldn't say "Yes" and be done with it. He'd
wanted to go to her father, too, and let John know his hopes; but that
Jane wouldn't allow at this stage of the affair.

"In fact, she won't let me whisper a word," said Martin to Mrs. Bascombe,
"and 'tis treason to her in a way my coming to you at all; but I feel
terrib