mine, an' wasn't. I did wonder
to meself what I wer starting on. Howsbe-ever I wer fair maazed all
thic day. _I_ wasn' ready when Tony drove out to where us lived, not
I."

"No-o-o! Her had her sleeves tucked up like 's if her 'adn't finished
her housework. Her wern't dressed nor nothin' to ree-ceive me."

"I didn' know what I wer doing all thic day."

[Sidenote: _LOVE-PLAY_]

"An' the parson, _I_ had to pay for he, an' he give'd the money back to
she 'cause her wer a nice li'I thing--bit skinny though. 'Twer a maazed
muddle like. _I_ ought to ha' had thic money be rights."

"G'out! But I did the ol' parson up here. Us didn' hae no banns put up
to Seacombe. I told the clergyman to our home that Tony'd been livin'
there dree days, or dree weeks, or whatever 'twas, an' _he_ didn' know
no better. 'Twon't be the first lie I've told, says I to meself n'eet
[nor yet] the last. I saved thee thic money, Tony."

"Ah, yu'm a saving dear, ben' 'ee. Spends all my money."

"Well for yu! I should like to know what yu'd do wi' it if yu hadn't
had me to lay it out for 'ee."

Tony did not wish to question that. The recollection of the wedding had
put him in high spirits. He got up from his second supper (so long as
food remains on the table he takes successive meals with intervals for
conversation between them), and pirouetted round the table singing,

"Sweet Ev-eli-na, sweet Ev-eli-na!
My lo-ove for yu-u
Shall nev-ver, never die...."

He dragged Mrs Widger out of her chair, whisked her across the room.
"There!" he said, setting her down flop. "'En't her a perty li'I dear!"

Once again, after another little supper, he got up and held Mrs Widger
firmly by the chin, she kicking out at his shins the while. "Did 'ee
ever see the like o'it? Eh? Fancy ol' Tony marryin' thic! Wouldn' 'ee
like a kiss o'it? I du dearly. Don' I, Missis?"

"G'out!" says Mrs Widger, speaking furiously, but smiling affectionately.
"G'out, you fule! Yu'm mazed!"

Tony returned to his third supper quite seriously, only remarking: "I
daresay yu thinks Tony a funny ol' fule, don' 'ee?"

[Sidenote: _BIRTH IN THE SQUARE_]

That, I did not. Indeed, I begin to think them peculiarly wise. There
is the spontaneity of animals about their play, and a good deal of the
unembarassed movements of animals--with something very human
superadded. One reads often enough about the love-light in the eyes of
lovers, and sometimes one catches sight of it. Eith