her
to his hooam, for it wor nobbut a haase an' chamer an' varry little
furnitur, tho' he'd fettled it up an' made it lewk as smart as he could.
They went to a public-haase to ther dinner, an' then they tuk a long
raand abaat way hooam, an' as they kept callin' for a refresher it wor
neet when they landed.

As sooin as ivver they entered th' door he began to mak all sooarts o'
excuses abaat it bein' humble, but shoo stopt him in a minit, for shoo
sed 'shoo didn't care hah little it wor soa long as shoo wor th'
mistress, for shoo'd getten reight daan stall'd o' sarvice.' 'Why,' he
sed, 'tha knaws nowt abaat sarvice Matilda, dear?' 'Aw should think aw
owt to do,' shoo sed, 'for aw've been i' place ivver sin aw could walk
ommost.' Dick stared like a throttled cat for a minit, for he couldn't
believe his awn ears. 'Aren't ta thi father's dowter?' he sed. 'Why aw
should think soa--whose dowter does ta think aw am?' 'But isn't that thi
father 'at lives i' yond big haase?' 'What are ta tawkin abaat?' shoo
sed, 'why th' chap 'at lives i' that haase is one o'th' richest chaps i'
Briggus--aw wor nobbut th' haasemaid thear--my father lives at
Salterhebble, an' hawks watter cress.' 'Why then, whear did ta get thi
two properties 'at tha tell'd me tha had?' Matilda sat daan in a cheer,
an' covered her face wi her handkertchy, an' began cryin' as if her
heart wor braikin.

This touched Dick, for he wor ov a tender sooart, an' he did like her
after all, soa he drew his cheer to her side, an' put his arm raand her
waist an' tawk'd pratly to her an' tell'd her shoo shouldn't ha sed shoo
had 'em if shoo hadn't. 'But it's true eniff,' shoo sed; 'aw wish it
worn't, for that's what causes me to have sich an uneasy mind.' 'Why
what's th' reason on it? Is ther some daat as to who's th' reight owner?
Or is ther a morgage on 'em? Give ower freeatin', an if it's a fine day
to-morn we'll goa an' luk at 'em.' 'Ther's noa daat who belangs to 'em;
a woman has 'em aght at nurse at Sowerby Brig.' 'At nurse? At nurse?
What does ta mean? An' is that what tha ment bi thi two properties?
Tha'rt a deceitful gooid-for-nowt! To think 'at aw should wed a woman wi
two childer!' 'Why, tha didn't expect aw should have two elephans, did
ta? But tha needn't let it bother thee mich, for one 'em's a varry
little en.' 'Awst nivver be able to put mi heead aght o'th' door ageean
as long as aw live.' 'Nivver heed, lad, awl stop at hooam an' keep thee
cumpny.' 'Well, bu