"Come, John, rouse yourself a bit," said his sister. "Nobody here
thinks the worse of you for what the judge said."

"Certainly not," said Mrs. Smiley. "And as it becomes me to speak,
I'll say my mind. I'm accustomed to speak freely before friends, and
as we are all friends here, why should I be ashamed?"

"For the matter of that nobody says you are," said Moulder.

"And I don't mean, Mr. Moulder. Why should I? I can pay my way, and
do what I like with my own, and has people to mind me when I speak,
and needn't mind nobody else myself;--and that's more than everybody
can say. Here's John Kenneby and I, is engaged as man and wife. He
won't say as it's not so, I'll be bound."

"No," said Kenneby, "I'm engaged I know."

"When I accepted John Kenneby's hand and heart,--and well I remember
the beauteous language in which he expressed his feelings, and always
shall,--I told him, that I respected him as a man that would do his
duty by a woman, though perhaps he mightn't be so cute in the way
of having much to say for himself as some others. 'What's the good,'
said I, 'of a man's talking, if so be he's ashamed to meet the baker
at the end of the week?' So I listened to the vows he made me, and
have considered that he and I was as good as one. Now that he's been
put upon by them lawyers, I'm not the woman to turn my back upon
him."

"That you're not," said Moulder.

"No I ain't, Mr. Moulder, and so, John, there's my hand again, and
you're free to take it if you like." And so saying she put forth her
hand almost into his lap.

"Take it, John!" said Mrs. Moulder. But poor Kenneby himself did not
seem to be very quick in availing himself of the happiness offered to
him. He did raise his right arm slightly; but then he hesitated, and
allowed it to fall again between him and his sister.

"Come, John, you know you mean it," said Mrs. Moulder. And then with
both her hands she lifted his, and placed it bodily within the grasp
of Mrs. Smiley's, which was still held forth to receive it.

"I know I'm engaged," said Kenneby.

"There's no mistake about it," said Moulder.

"There needn't be none," said Mrs. Smiley, softly blushing; "and I
will say this of myself--as I have been tempted to give a promise,
I'm not the woman to go back from my word. There's my hand, John; and
I don't care though all the world hears me say so." And then they sat
hand in hand for some seconds, during which poor Kenneby was unable
to escape from