“The next thing is for us to go and wish ’em joy, I suppose?” 

 “Well, no.” 

 “No? Now, I thought we must. I must, or ’twould be very unlike me—the first in every spree that’s going! 

 “Do thou′ put on′ a fri′-ar’s coat′, And I’ll′ put on′ a-no′-ther, And we′ will to′ Queen Ele′anor go′, Like Fri′ar and′ his bro′ther. 

 I met Mis’ess Yeobright, the young bride’s aunt, last night, and she told me that her son Clym was coming home a’ Christmas. Wonderful clever, ’a believe—ah, I should like to have all that’s under that young man’s hair. Well, then, I spoke to her in my well-known merry way, and she said, ‘O that what’s shaped so venerable should talk like a fool!’—that’s what she said to me. I don’t care for her, be jowned if I do, and so I told her. ‘Be jowned if I care for ’ee,’ I said. I had her there—hey?” 

 “I rather think she had you,” said Fairway. 

 “No,” said Grandfer Cantle, his countenance slightly flagging. “’Tisn’t so bad as that with me?” 

 “Seemingly ’tis, however, is it because of the wedding that Clym is coming home a’ Christmas—to make a new arrangement because his mother is now left in the house alone?” 

 “Yes, yes—that’s it. But, Timothy, hearken to me,” said the Grandfer earnestly. “Though known as such a joker, I be an understanding man if you catch me serious, and I am serious now. I can tell ’ee lots about the married couple. Yes, this morning at six o’clock they went up the country to do the job, and neither vell nor mark have been seen of ’em since, though I reckon that this afternoon has brought ’em home again man and woman—wife, that is. Isn’t it spoke like a man, Timothy, and wasn’t Mis’ess Yeobright wrong about me?” 

 “Yes, it will do. I didn’t know the two had walked together since last fall, when her aunt forbad the banns. How long has this new set-to been in mangling then? Do you know, Humphrey?” 

 “Yes, how long?” said Grandfer Cantle smartly, likewise turning to Humphrey. “I ask that question.” 

 “Ever since her aunt altered her mind, and said she might have the man after all,” replied Humphrey, without removing his eyes from the fire. He was a somewhat solemn young fellow, and carried the hook and leather gloves of a furze-cutter, his legs, by reason of that occupation, being sheathed in bulging leggings 

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