I began to have an insight into that
woman's heart then. She took out a thing or two and locked the
drawer, and went on dressing babby. Just about then come her
husband down, a great big fellow as didn't look half awake, though
it were getting late; but he'd heard all as had been said
downstairs, as were plain to be seen; but he were a gruff chap.
We'd finished our breakfast, and Jennings were looking hard at th'
woman as she were getting the babby to sleep wi' a sort of rocking
way. At length says he, 'I ha' learnt th' way now; it's two jiggits
and a shake, two jiggits and a shake. I can get that babby asleep
now mysel.'
"The man had nodded cross enough to us, and had gone to th' door,
and stood there, whistling wi' his hands in his breeches-pockets,
looking abroad. But at last he turns and says, quite sharp--
"'I say, missis, I'm to have no breakfast to-day, I s'pose.'
"So wi' that she kissed th' child, a long, soft kiss, and looking in
my face to see if I could take her meaning, gave me th' babby
without a word. I were loath to stir, but I saw it were better to
go.
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