“Well, ther’s a mistak somewhear,—­that’s a sartanty.  My best plan will be to goa back hooam an see if aw can get some better information.”

“Tha’s been a long time, Sammywell;—­had ta onny trubble to find th’ shop?”

“Shop!  Ther isn’t sich a shop!  Aw’ve walked monny a mile an axt scoors o’ fowk, an my belief is at tha’s just been makkin a laffinstock on me.  Mistress Whitin says shoo nivver heeard tell o’ sich a chap nor shop nawther.”

“Then hasn’t ta browt onny?”

“Ha the dickens could aw bring onny when aw tell thi aw couldn’t find th’ shop!”

“A child o’ four year old could goa a eearand better nor thee!  If awd sent Jerrymier he’d ha browt em an they’d ha been cook’t an etten befoor nah.”

“Well, it isn’t too lat to send Jerrymier yet.  But aw tell thi Mistress Whitin says ther isn’t sich a shop, an they nivver had a mussel i’ ther haase sin they wor born nor for years befoor that!”

“Ov course shoo’d say soa!  That shows th’ depth on her.  Shoo wants to have th’ best o’ ivverything for hersen.  But aw’ll goa an see if shoo’ll tell sich a tale to me.  Her’s isn’t th’ only milk shop i’ Bradforth, an aw’ll nivver buy another drop on her as long as aw live.  An if shoo doesn’t mind what shoo’s dooin aw’ll put th’ inspector onto her, for its moor watter nor milk at aw’ve been gettin thear for a long time.”

Mally threw a shawl ovver her heead an tuk th’ basket, an called for Jerrymier, so as he could carry it for her, an away they went.

Mistress Whitin wor sittin just as Sammywell had left her, an wor runnin ovver in her mind th’ names ov all th’ fowk she knew at kept fish shops.  When Mally stept in shoo didn’t nooatice at shoo wor varry excited soa shoo sed,

“Come in, Mally;—­awm just studyin abaat what yo’re Grimes wor axin me two-or-three minnits sin.”

“It needs noa studyin abaat.  Yo know what he axt yo weel enuff, but yo dooant want to tell.  Aw’ve allus takken yo to be a varry different sooart ov a woman.  Didn’t aw hear yo, wi mi own ears, tellin owd Widdy Baystey,—­noa longer sin nor this mornin, at sin yor husband began gooin to Jim Nations at he gate mussels twice as big as at onny other shop?  Nah, deny it if yo can.  Aw dooant see what ther is to laff at nawther.”

“Why, Mistress Grimes, yo’ve made a sad mistak.  Aw wor nobbut advisin Mistress Baystey to let her lad,—­him at’s so waikly,—­to goa th’ Gymnasium.  Sin my husband started o’ gooin he’s twice as strong as he wor, an th’ muscles ov his arms are twice th’ size they used to be.  Yo see its been all a mistak.”

It tuk Mally a minnit or two befoor shoo could reckon things up fairly, but as sooin as shoo did shoo laft too, an then takkin Jerrymier bith arm started off to find th’ nearest fish shop.

They hadn’t far to goa, but when shoo axt th’ chap ha he wor sellin his mussels, he stared at her wi’ all th’ een in his heead.