she wunnot let nowt go by. She mun hear aw as is goin'. She's out wi' Mester Hixon at th' chapel because she says she conna hear him an' he does it a-purpose. When she wur out wi' ivverybody else she used to say she wur goin' to leave her brass to him, an' she invited him to tea ivvery neet fur a week, an' had him set by her chair an' talk. It wur summer toime an' I've seed him set an' shout wi' th' sweat a-pourin' down his face an' his necktie aw o' one soide, an' at th' eend o' a week he had a quinsy, as wur nigh bein' th' eend o' him. An' she nivver forgive him. She said as he wur an impident chap as thowt hissen too good fur his betters."
Murdoch expressed his sympathy promptly.
"I wish tha'd coom up an' talk to her some day thysen," said Janey. "It ud rest us a bit," candidly. "Yo'n getten th' kind o' voice to mak' folk hear, though yo' dunnot speak so loud, an' if yo' get close up to her ear an' say things slow, yo'd get used to it i' toime."
"I'll come some day," answered Murdoch, speculating with some doubt as to the possible result of the visit. Her mind relieved, Janey rose to take her departure. Suddenly, however, a new idea presented itself to her active mind.
"Has tha seen Miss Ffrench yet?" she asked.
"Yes," he answered.
"What does tha think on her?"
He picked up his book and re-opened it.
"I only saw her for an instant," he said. "I hadn't time to think anything."
On his way from his work a few days later, he stopped at the Briarley cottage. It was swept and garnished; there were no traces of the children about. Before he reached the house, there had been borne to him the sound
