hasis such as Tilly alone could lay. "Well! of all the ... What for?
What on earth for? 'As somebody gone and left 'im a fortune? Or 'as 'e
been appointed pillmonger-in-ordinary to the Queen 'erself? What is it,
Mary? What's up?"

What indeed! This was the question Mary dreaded, and one that would
leap to every tongue: why was he going? She sat on the horns of a
dilemma. It was not in her to wound people's feelings by blurting out
the truth--this would also put Richard in a bad light--and, did she
give no reason at all, many would think he had taken leave of his
senses. Weakly, in a very un-Maryish fashion, she mumbled that his
health was not what it should be, and he had got it into his head that
for this the climate of the colony was to blame. Nothing would do him
but to return to England.

"I never! No, never in my born days did I hear tell of such a thing!"
and Tilly, exploding, brought her closed fist heavily down on her knee.
"Mary! ... for a mere maggot like that, to chuck up a practice such as
'e's got. Upon my word, my dear, it looks as if 'e was touched
'ere,"--and she significantly tapped her forehead. "Ha! Now I
understand. You know I've seen quite well, love, you've been looking a
bit down in the mouth of late. And so 'as pa noticed it, too. After
you'd gone the other day, 'e said to me: 'Looks reflexive-like does the
little lady nowadays; as if she'd got something on 'er mind.' And I to
him: 'Pooh! Isn't it enough that she's got to put up with the cranks
and crotchets of one o' YOUR sect?'--Oh Mary, my dear, there's many a
true word said in jest. Though little did I think what the crotchet
would be." And slowly the rims of Tilly's eyes and the tip of her nose
reddened and swelled.

"No, I can't picture it, Mary--what it'ull be like 'ere without you,"
she said; and pulling out her handkerchief blew snort after snort,
which was Tilly's way nowadays of having a good cry. "There, there,
Baby, Auntie's only got the sniffles.--For just think of it, Mary:
except that first year or so after you were married, we've been
together, you and me, pretty much ever since you came to us that time
at the 'otel--a little black midget of a thing in short frocks. I can
still remember 'ow Jinn and I laughed at the idea of you teaching us;
and 'ow poor ma said to wait and make sure we weren't laughing on the
wrong side of our mouths. And ma was right as usual. For if ever a
clever little kid trod the earth, it was you."

Ma