to write my letter on.

Tell mi mother I'll

send her some brass afore aught's lung."

"Well done, Jemmy!" said Sam, taking his spectacles off. "He'll get on, will that lad!"

[Autumn night, two hours after sunset.

-BURNS.

An old

farmhouse, in a moorland clough. NANNY, the servant lass, bustling about the kitchen by candlelight. TOM POSY, a lad from the neighbouring fold, lurking among the trees in the orchard. He gives a low whistle, and then taps quietly at the kitchen window. The door opens softly, and NANNY slips out.]

H, Tom, whatever arto thinkin' on to

come an' knock at th' window like

that? Th' mistress has nobbut just gone up stairs. It's a wonder hoo didn't yer tho!"

"I don't care whether hoo did or not." "Nawe; I dar say not; but I care,-I'm force't to care."

"Thou'd better go back to her, then."

"Well,-an' I con soon do that, Tom. What's th' matter that thou'rt so rivven toneet?"

"Matter? Matter enoof, I think! Look what a time thou's bin wi' comin',-after what thou said to me last neet."

"I couldn't get out a minute sooner."

"An' here I've bin maunderin' up an' down i'th' cloof by mysel', aboon two hours,-like a foo, as I am."

"I couldn't help it, Tom,-I couldn't for sure!"

"If thou thinks thou'rt gooin' to mak a hal o' me, Nanny, thou'rt mista'en!"

"I'm sure I don't want to mak a hal on tho, Tom,-if thou doesn't wish to mak one o' thisel."

"Thou met ha' slipt out an' towd me,an' if tho couldn't come thysel' thou met ha' sent word by somebry, istead o' keepin' me hangin' about under th' trees yon, like a thief lookin' out for a job."

"Well, I couldn't get out mysel', I tell tho, for there's bin a lot o' folk fro' th' Birches o' th' afternoon,-they ha' not bin gone aboon hauve-an-hour,-an' I've had mi honds as full as a fitch every minute o' this day, till I didn't know which way to turn. mysel', for our lasses are off at th' town, an'

there hasn't bin a wick soul i' yon house to do a hond's turn but mysel',-not a soul there hasn't-nobbut th' owd mistress,-an' ho's so lame that hoo con noather lift fuut nor finger, I have to feed her mornin', noon, and neet; an' hoo wants lookin' after at byetimes beside, and hoo has to be hovven out o' bed an' into bed,-an', tak it o' together, th' owd woman's aboon one body's wark hersel'. There weren't a soul i'th' house belongin' our family but th' owd woman, an' thou surely doesn't think I could ha' sent her down into th' cloof to tell tho I couldn't get out, doesto?"

"This is noan o' th' time that thou promised to meet me, is't?"

"Well, nawe, Tom, what's th' use o' talkin' that road?"

"Ay; I know! Thou doesn't care! I begin a-thinkin' my talk's raither too chep wi' thee! But, I con tell tho one thing,-while I've bin powlerin' up an' down yon i'th' dark I've bin i' twenty minds to go whoam again, an' come no more to be made a foo on bi thee,-crack that nut!"

"Well, I'm sure! What a grand way we're in It isn't too late for tho to goo whoam again, now, if thou wants-there's nobry howdin' tho! Eh, dear o' me! It's come'd to some'at, however. Hie tho whoam

again, do; there's as good fish left i'th' say as ony that ever wur catch't yet,-crack that nut!"

"Ay, that's just where it is. Thou's more fish upo' th' hooks than ever thou'll manage to fry gradely. An' I'll tell thee another thing, Nanny-if I'm one on 'em-I'm happen noan as ill catch't as thou thinks on. Crack that nut!"

"Well, Tom, I don't know what thou'rt talkin' about; but, as thou art so terribly th' wrang side out, I'd ha' tho to know that I think thou'rt no great catch, as who gets tho. Crack that nut, while thou art cracking!"

"Well, Nanny, afore I goo I'll just tell tho another thing. There's one o' these fish o' thine that'll ha' my fist i' his gills if ever I see him maulin' an' sniggerin' about thee ony moore; an' thou may tell him I say so." "Well, an' who's that, then?"

"It's Joss o' Jerry's, fro' th' Syke Brco." "What! My own cousin ?”

'Ay, thi own cousin-if he is thi own cousin. I dar say he's somewheer about th' house just now!"

"Eh, Tom, whatever's come'd o'er tho? What do I want wi' Joss o' Jerry's; or what does he want wi' me that he should be hangin' about this house after me? He thinks

R