'll see Adam 'ull be back in no time. 'Twas only through bein'
baulked when he'd a come back o' purpose to take 'ee out."

"How was I to know that?" sobbed Eve.

"No, o' course you didn't, and that's what I told un. But, lors! 'tis
in the nature o' men to be jealous o' one 'nother, and with Adam more
partickler o' Jerrem; so for the future you must humor un a bit, 'cos
there's things atwixt they two you doan't know nothin' of, and so can't
allays tell when the shoe's pinchin' most."

"I often think whether Adam and me will be happy together," said Eve,
sitting up and drying her eyes. "I'm willing to give in, but I won't be
trampled upon."

"And he won't want to trample 'pon 'ee, neither. Only you study un a
bit, and you'll soon learn the measure o' Adam's foot. Why, 'tis only
to see un lookin' at 'ee to tell how he loves 'ee;" and Joan
successfully kept down a rising sigh as she added, "Lors! he wouldn't
let a fly pitch 'pon 'ee if he could help it."

"If he'd seen us before he came in first he'd have surely told you?"
said Eve.

"Awh, he hadn't seen 'ee then," said Joan, "'cos, though he was a bit
vexed, he wasn't in no temper. 'Twas after he went out the second time
that he must have cast eyes on 'ee some way. Jerrem wasn't up to none
of his nonsense, was he?" she asked. '"Cos I knaws what Jerrem is. He
don't think no more o' givin' 'ee a kiss or that than he does o'
noddin' his head or crookin' his elbaw; and if Adam caught un at that,
it 'ud be enough for he."

Eve shook her head. "Jerrem never takes none of those liberties with
me," she said: "he knows I won't allow him to. The whole of the time we
did nothing but talk and walk along till we came to a nice place, and
then we stayed for a little while looking at the view together, and
after that came back."

"'Tis more than I can make out, then," said Joan, "'cos, though I
wondered when you set off whether Adam would 'zactly relish your bein'
with Jerrem, I never thought 'twould put un out like this."

"It makes me feel so miserable!" said Eve, trying to keep back her
tears; "for oh, Joan"--and she threw her arms round Joan's neck--"I do
love him very dearly!"

"Iss, my dear, I knaws you do," returned Joan soothingly, "and he loves
you too."

"Then why can't we always feel the same, Joan, and be comfortable and
kind and pleasant to one another?"

"Oh lors! that 'ud be a reg'lar milk-and-watter set-out o' it. No, so
long as you doan't carry on too far