"I trust you are comfortable, madam?" I said.
"Comfortable and warm and cosy," she replied. "But for my fears for my
father I should even be happy, for it has never before been my lot, and I
have wandered far and wide over half Europe, to experience such and so
much kindness in one day from perfect strangers."
"I am, indeed, happy in my mother and sister. They are pearls of great
price."
"None better in all Staffordsheer," said Joe.
"You have rendered me a greater service than you know of, and I must not
let you leave yourself out." To hide a note of wistfulness in her voice,
she added mischievously, "Must I, Joe?"
"Yow could find wus'n' Wheatman o' th' 'Anyards," said Joe, with sturdy
precision of praise.
"Is he really a hell-hound, Joe, when he's got a sup of beer in him? I've
no clear notion what a hell-hound is, but clearly it means something as
bad, say, as a janissary--the worst animal I ever came across."
"Sup o' beer in 'im," snorted Joe contemptuously. "He dunna really know
what beer is, my lady. It's a grand thing is beer, if y'll only tak'
enough of it to do y' good, but there's no vartue in half a pint of it.
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