Martin, but I thought I
would run the chance. There is no such thing as getting a quiet word
spoken in the church or churchyard."

"Will you agree?--make over Mrs. Pryor to my mother, and put me in her
skirts?"

"As if I could understand you! What puts Mrs. Pryor into your head?"

"You call her 'mamma,' don't you?"

"She _is_ my mamma."

"Not possible--or so inefficient, so careless a mamma; I should make a
five times better one. You _may_ laugh. I have no objection to see you
laugh. Your teeth--I hate ugly teeth; but yours are as pretty as a pearl
necklace, and a necklace of which the pearls are very fair, even, and
well matched too."

"Martin, what now? I thought the Yorkes never paid compliments?"

"They have not done till this generation; but I feel as if it were my
vocation to turn out a new variety of the Yorke species. I am rather
tired of my own ancestors. We have traditions going back for four
ages--tales of Hiram, which was the son of Hiram, which was the son of
Samuel, which was the son of John, which was the son of Zerubbabel
Yorke. All, from Zerubbabel down to the last Hiram, were such as you see
my father. Before that there was a Godfrey. We have his picture; it
hangs in Moore's bedroom; it is like me. Of his character we know
nothing; but I am sure it was different to his descendants. He has long,
curling dark hair; he is carefully and cavalierly dressed. Having said
that he is like me, I need not add that he is handsome."

"You are not handsome, Martin."

"No; but wait awhile--just let me take my time. I mean to begin from
this day to cultivate, to polish, and we shall see."

"You are a very strange, a very unaccountable boy, Martin. But don't
imagine you ever will be handsome; you cannot."

"I mean to try. But we were talking about Mrs. Pryor. She must be the
most unnatural mamma in existence, coolly to let her daughter come out
in this weather. Mine was in such a rage because I would go to church;
she was fit to fling the kitchen brush after me."

"Mamma was very much concerned about me; but I am afraid I was
obstinate. I _would_ go."

"To see me?"

"Exactly; I thought of nothing else. I greatly feared the snow would
hinder you from coming. You don't know how pleased I was to see you all
by yourself in the pew."

"_I_ came to fulfil my duty, and set the parish a good example. And so
you were obstinate, were you? I should like to see you obstinate, I
should. Wouldn't I have you in go