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T wor seven o'clock ith' mornin when we arrived at Victoria Station--an'
as we wanted to get ooam withaat loisin ony time we tuk a cab to
King's Cross. It wor a breet clear mornin' an' as we rattled along th'
streets, ivvery buildin lukt like an' old friend, an' th' same feelin'
coom ovver me at awve soa oft felt befoor--what had passed seemed mich
moor like a dreeam nor a reality. Aw noaticed at Billy put on some airs
at awd nivver seen him spooart befoor, an' if aw had'nt known him aw mud
ha mistakken him for Beaconsfield commin back after signin th' Berlin
treaty, but then he's a deal bigger man nor Beaconsfield is Billy, an'
if his influence isnt as big ith' city, he's weightier ith' corporation.
But awm sewer he lukt better bi monny a paand nor when we started. When
we gat to th' station we fan at we'd a bit o' time to spend befoor ther
wor a train soa we went an' gate a cup o' coffee an' summat to ait.
"Nah, Billy," aw sed, "aw should like to know if tha's enjoyed thi
trip?"
"Ov coprse aw've enjoyed it! Did ta think aw went to be miserable? It
isnt oft aw set off throo hooam, but when aw do aw mak up mi mind to
enjoy mysen. But aw dooant care ha sooin aw get back hooam nah, for awst
ha to start brewin to-morn."
"Well, tha luks a deeal better onyway,--an' awm sewer thi mother'll be
fain to see thi soa mich improved."
"Thee think abaat yor Mally an' leeav me an' mi mother to manage us own
affairs--If aw've getten a bit better awve paid for it aw reckon!
Tha tell'd me'at it wod'nt cost aboon ten paand an' it's cost aboon
eleven,--Aw've enjoyed misen furst rate an' aw do feel a trifle better,
an' awve enjoyed thy compny varry weel too, but if aw wor gooin agean
awd goa be misen."
"Tha cant get me mad this mornin soa its noa use to try, an' tha'd
better save thi wind to blow thi porridge when tha gets hooam."
"Well, that's reight enuff; tha knows what aw mean,--but aw say--wi' ta
promise me at tha'll keep thi maath shut abaat them frogs?--Nah fair
dealins amang mates, Sammy."
"Awl promise thi one thing," aw says, "awl tell now't at isnt true, an'
if what aw tell isnt pleasant it's becoss trewth isnt pleasant at all
times."
"Do as tha likes an' gooid luck to thi lad! Th' time's ommost up lets be
off."
We wor just i' time an' after a partin glass to start wi for fear ther
might'nt be a chonce to get one at th' finish, we jumpt into th' train
an' wor sooin lessenin th' distance between Lundun an' Bradford. Th'
journey wor pleasant enuff but it seemed rayther long as it does when
yor anxious to get to th' far end, but we landed at last, an' wod yo
believe it? Ther wor Mally an' Hepsaba waitin at th' station for me--It
wor a little attention at they'd nivver shown me befoor, an' aw felt
touched,--for awm varry soft hearted.
"Whativver made thi come to meet me Mally?" aw sed.
"Aw coom becoss aw wor feeard tha'd happen ha started a growin a
mushtash an' thart freet big enuff as it is, an' aw thowt awd tak thi to
th' barbers to get made daycent befoor tha coom hooam, for tha's been a
laffin stock for th' naybors long enuff; an aw wanted to set mi mind at
ease abaat that umberel, for thart nooan to be trusted, an awve hardly
been able to sleep for dreamin at tha'd lost it, but if tha had tha'd ha
been wise nivver to show thi face here agean!"
"Well, but tha sees aw havnt, an if awd had aw suppooas its mi own?"
"What's thine's mine aw reckon?"
"An' what made thee come to meet me Hepsaba?"
"Aw coom to see what yo'd browt for us, soas aw could ha mi pick afoor
yo'd pairted wi' th' best."
"Why lass, awve browt misen an' that's all, aw should think that owt to
satisfy thi."
"If that's all yo need'nt ha gooan for we had yo befoor."
Mally an' her walked off arm i' arm, takkin th' umberel wi em an nivver
spaiking a word, but just givin a nod to Billy--"Awl tell thi what we'll
do," sed Billy--"we'll just goa into th' taan an' ware abaat a paand a
piece o' some sooart o' gimcracks an' we'll mak'em believe we have browt
summat after all!"
Aw thowt it wor a gooid nooation soa we went an' bowt a cap for Mally
an' a pair a gloves for Hepsaba, an' a imitation meersham pipe for Ike,
an' one or two moor nonsensical things, an' then we put em i' my box at
th' station. Billy bowt a new dress piece, real French merino for his
mother, an' then we shook hands an' pairted. My reception wornt all at
aw could wish when aw went in hooam, but when th' box wor oppened an'
Mally saw her cap, shoo pawsed th' cat off th' fender becoss it wor
sittin anent me, an' as sooin as Hepsaba gate her gloves, shoo fun me a
long pipe, an' filled it wi bacca an' gat me a leet, an' Ike sed 'he'd
hardly been able to bide at his wark, he wor soa anxious at aw should
land back safe;' an' he walked abaat wi' th' pipe in his maath as if awd
browt him th' grandest thing aght o' th' Exhibition--Ther wor nowt to
gooid for me just then, an' aw thowt at after all, Billy wornt happen
sich a fooil as aw tewk him to be.
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