for them ‘at come an’ tell yo summat abaght somdy else will just as sooin tell somdy else summat abaght yo.  An’ luk what scrapes one gets into wi’ it.  Nah, aw made Dick believe ’at th’ chimley smookd, that wor a lie to say th’ least on it, an’ he’ll be sure ta noatice ’at it doesn’t smook ta-neet, but if he names it aw’ll tell th’ truth, for, aw’m sure noa gooid comes o’ lying.”

When Zantippa had just made this resolve, th’ door opened, an’ Dick au’ three childer coom in throo th’ miln.  He saw th’ difference in a minnit.  “Wipe them clogs,” he said as th’ childer wor walkin’ in.  “Tha’s been fettlin’ a bit, lass, aw think.  Are ta baan to ax some o’th’ neighbors to ther drinkin’?”

“Noa!” shoo says, “aw’m baan to ax noabody but thee an’ th’ childer.  Does ta want me to ax somdy?”

“Nay, nooan soa!  Aw’d as gooid as promised to goa as far as ‘Th’ Cock’ ta neet, to talk ovver this bit ov a doo, but aw think aw’ll stop at hooam, what says ta?” Zantippa smiled, nay even blushed, shoo knew what he ment an’ shoo felt pleased.  It wor a bit ov a compliment, an’ paid her for all her trouble.

“Please thisen,” shoo said, as shoo poured aght a cup o’ teah for him, an’ lifted a pile o’ tooast aght o’ th’ oven, “but aw think th’rt as weel at hooam.”

“Well, an’ aw think aw’m better,” he said, as he luk’d raand, “aw think th’ chimley doesn’t smook as ill as it did, does it?”

Shoo hung her heead, an’ stooped ta pick a pin off th’ floor, but shoo couldn’t find one, an’ when shoo luk’d up ther een met.  Shoo didn’t spaik, nor moor did he; it worn’t needed.  It wor a long time sin they’d sich a comfortable teah, an’ when they’d done they sat some time at th’ table i’ silence.  Ha’ long they might have sat aw connot tell, hadn’t th’ door oppened, an’ Betty come runnin’ in wi’ a pot to beg a sup o’ hot watter, for shoo said “Her chap had coom hooam, an’ shoo’d been rayther longer nor shoo expected, an’ he wor playin’ th’ varry hangment for his drinkin’.”

Shoo gate her hot water, an’ went away.  Dick luk’d at his wife, an’ takkin’ howd ov her hand, said, “Aw’m glad ‘at tha hasn’t to goa seekin’ hot water, an’ aw hooap tha niver may have.”

“Aw hooap nut,” shoo said, an’ sat daan evidently varry ill set ta see her stockins.  Nah, what a little con make fowk happy or miserable.  Dick wor as content as a king, becoss all th’ haas wor tidy.  He saw at somdy had been tryin’ to mak’ him comfortable; an shoo wor as delighted as if shoo’d getten a fortin left, becoss what shoo’d done had suited him.

When th’ childer had getten all put ta bed, Dick said, “Lass, aw’ve been thinkin’ ‘at aw dooant care soa mich abaght gooin to this teadrinkin’ for aw’ve a noation ‘at we connot goa ta th’ tea withaat stoppin’ an’ spendin’ a lot o’ brass at after, an’ aw’ve heeard thee say as thar’t fast for some flannel.  Nah, if we stop at hooam an’ spend th’ brass o’ what it is tha wants, it’ll do us moor gooid nor th’ ale, what says ta?”