A Lover in Homespun / And Other Stories

it was empty. Mary was a comely maiden of forty-three, of comfortable proportions and goodly to look upon. Her cheeks were still attractively round; her glos

such a menace to the peace of the sterner sex, and over whic

oh, wheere can that lad John be? I'm crazed wi' all this trouble; nivver did I see the missus so worked up before, and she winna change her mind, no matter what is said. I'm just a

oor slowly opened, disclosing the sober face and lean figure of J

hurried him into the room. For some reason or other, Mr. Lawson evinced no especial pleasure at seeing the comely Mar

sceptical voice, as he indignantly

for myself thou art glad." While speaking, he knitted his eyebrows in a most menacing manner. He was a small, thin man, abou

on anxiously: "Thou knows what is troubling me; thou art the maister's private servant, and he must have told thee what has happened. Now we mun think o' something, John, to stop 'em from breaking

hough, that the maister's told me to have the carriage ready to catch the train that goes east at nine" (he turned and looked at the c

rs. "And in my heart I believe that she loves him, too. And thou must believe that, too, and yet theere thou stands wi' that unnatura

e, and said desperately: "Could thou not manage, John, lad,

ngraciously, thrust his hands viciously under his ample coat-tails, elevated his chin aggressively, and said airily, as he kept up a warlike tattoo on the carpet with one of his h

re that I know o' nowt that can be done, Miss Mary Tiff

he had realized where her base of operations had been weak. Banishing the smile fr

d lines on his forehead gradually vanished, his eyebrows hovered no longer belligerently near the lids, while his chin-really a well-modelled one-receded slowly,

w thou knows this, lad, won't thou make some effort to save 'em from wrecking their lives? Maybe we can't do much, John, but we mun try and do something. Now, if we can prevent the maister from going away to-night, something may turn up to-morrow that'll give

ce, he said, in a somewhat independent, yet nervous tone, as he faced her and adjusted his now disturbing spectacles: "Er-er, Mary, think o' the trouble I'd likely get into if I intrigued for the maist

ace as she covertly glanced at the man of condit

be, Mr. Lawson?" There was a

waved slowly to and fro like signals of distress, and said, as he raised his eye

uld be desired, for she shook her head dubi

n generally do when they are cornered-he rushed into

want to thrust myself upon any woman. But I mun say that, when I seed how worked up about the missus thou wert, and about the maister, too, going away-and hadn't a thow't for me-my feelings did get a little the best o' me, and I couldn't help exposing 'em again summat. So now thou knows the condeetions, Mary." The coat-tails by this time

es, Mr. Lawson." She lowered her eyes so

ravely as he could, throwing out his chin a little more as he continued to look past her, "that means, I suppose, that thou doesn't

not giving me a chance to say-say-" S

t himself, his master-yea, and even men in general-for their shameful treatment of the weaker sex. Presently his voice grew very low, and then their heads got dangerously close together. When at last they arose, after an eloquent pause, John's spectacles wer

ously to her now contented lover she said eagerly, "And now, lad, do try and think o' something to help

cheme is no good; for I'm sure the missus would, as she

t can only be broken down by deeply moving her heart. Sure, sure, lass, there's no other way." He was silent for a brief space and then went on, quietly, speaking t

t anxious. Tell me what's in thy mind," broke in Mar

key to the sitiwation. Thou remembers," he went on eagerly, "how, soon after their little lad's death, the maister

she didn't like to thwart the maister, he wur so restless and morbi

em o' him, and so, having no common sorrow, their hearts grew narrow-as wur to be expected-and they began to misunderstand each oth

Well, Mary, that little hole staring me in the face touched my heart and melted it as few things in this world ever did, and so, lass, I just couldn't send 'em away, and I took 'em out and put 'em in my trunk, wheere they still are. Now, Mary, if those little worn boots could break down such a real worldly man as me-and when the lad wur not my own, too-does thou think for a moment that, if the maister and the missus could be got to come a

of remarkable capers, doubtless a species of ancient dance, in which (undignified as doubtless it would have been) Mary

the missus that there's a parcel for her on the table. Thou wilt manage, of course, to get out o' the room before she can tell thee to fetch it. As for me, when I know that she's found it,

flashing out of the room before

on her chair, she exclaimed: "

ll parcel in the other. "Theere they are, lass," he almost shouted as he laid the parcel hurriedly on the

hurried away, while John left by a