“They wor reeal smart traasers, an’ to mak a long stooary short, aw bowt em; an’ that evenin, aw wor gooin aght a walkin wi’ a lass ’at aw knew, soa aw wore em to luk smart like.  Aw wor thinner then than aw am nah, for aw’ve filled aght a bit sin aw wor wed; but this chap ’at aw bowt em off, wor hawf as fat agean as aw wor, a reglar porker, fit for killin; an’ when aw coom to put th’ britches on, aw fun aght, ’at they wor ivver soa mich to wide for me raand th’ waist—­that worn’t th’ warst o’ it, for aw fun aght also ’at fower aght o’th six gallus buttons wor off—­but aw hadn’t time to sew onnymooar on, soa wi’ a bit a bother aw made em do.

“Well, aw set off wi’ th’ new traasers on—­it’s trew ’at they wor hitched up that high ‘at aw worn’t a bit comfortable, an’ ther wor as mich room in em as wod nearly have done for two like me, but as me tail coit hid it aw didn’t mind that, an’ aw felt a reeal swell, aw can tell yo, for they wor th’ leetest coloured pair ‘at ivver awd ivver had i’ my life.  Amy wor waitin o’ me, an’ we walked daan here to Peel’s Park, an’ sat on this varry seeat.”

“Awm gettin varry interested,” Mary sed, when he stopt to leet his pipe ‘at had gooan aght, “goa on wi’ yor tale.”

He puffed away for a minnit, an then went on:—­“Someha or other Amy’s nelly slipt in between th’ railins like yor’s did a bit sin, an aw wor ovver th’ fence after it like a shot,—­but when aw wor climbin up agean, my golly, if one o’th two remainin buttons didn’t snap cleean off, aw think th’ thread mun ha’ been as rotten as apples,—­luckily aw wor just on th’ top o’th rail, or aw dooan’t knaw what aw should ha done, but aw managed to get on to th’ seat, an thear aw sat.”

Mary an Dick booath started o’ laffin, an Dick sed, “Well, an ha did yo’ goa on?”

“It wor noa laffin matter for me aw con tell yo’,—­it wor summer time, an not dark wol nearly ten o’clock, an it wor nobbut eight then.  Amy faand aght in a minnit ’at summat wor wrang, but shoo sed nowt, an aw kept it quiet as long as aw could, wishin at th’ sun ’ud luk sharp an goa daan, but asteead o’ that, it seemed to me ’at it wor gooin higher up ivvery minnit.  Soa when shoo’d sed at shoo wor chilly, an wanted to walk a bit, abaat hawf a duzzen times, aw wor forced to tell her th’ truth.  Aw expected shoo’d a made fun o’ me, but shoo didn’t; shoo lukked reeal consarned abaat it, an sed shoo wor varry sorry for th’ mishap, but we’d stop whear we wor till it wor dark.  Soa we sat thear for a bit, an then shoo sed,

“’It ud be a deeal better for yo if yo hed sumdy to luk after yor clooas far yo.’

“Mi mother lives up at Keighley,” aw sed, “an it’s soa far shoo connot, an th’ lanlady’s hawf blind.”

“‘Well,’ Amy went on, ’but if yo’d hed a wife, shoo’d do all sich things as that for yo.’

“Someha’ or other mi arm slipt raand her waist, an aw willn’t tell yo’ noa mooar; long befoor th’ sun hed set, an it went daan sooin enuff nah, it wor all sattled.”