this way of escape to the blushing mr had a great deal to talk about at breakfast that morning and it was certainly natural that he should be the chief speaker but even mr couldn t help noticing how silent was on the other hand she was a most excellent listener � good a one that she might to some minds have suggested a parallel to hanging on the accents ol had brought for her the portrait of little which mr had confided to his keeping and when left the room to put this precious gift away mrs could not restrain her feminine curiosity to know what poor mr had done with all his money he has left some of it to said blushing even more than he had done over the empty basket but the bulk of it has gone elsewhere this was not very satisfactory and what was worse it was plain that mr did not wish to be put to the question on that point yet mrs could not restrain herself from saying then do you mean to say that except the picture of little he has left nothing he has left her nothing but the picture i am sorry for that said mrs rather she afterwards observed to her husband when alone with him that though mr had looked grave enough when he gave them this information he had not looked particularly sorry perhaps he s got the money himself suggested the farmer in that case you can hardly expect him to be m tears about the disposal of it how hard you are william his wife though indeed even if mr has got it well what well i would tell you a secret if i thought you could keep it it is my firm impression that mr has come in for mr s estate it was only his poverty that made him hesitate so long about asking to marry him and now that he feels he can offer her a fitting home and an establishment no interrupted the farmer emphatically our miss is not of that sort she is not one of those fine young ladies who care about an establishment i did not say she was william really c this about miss you ll make om � v s a from a thorn you jealous no my little woman you ve too much sense for that here to the farmer s great his wife began to laugh i was not referring to myself at all you silly old creature where was i when you broke in with our miss yes i was saying that now mr has the means he will marry her indeed he has told me almost as much this very morning now what do you think of that mr scratched his head in amazement if he had known that all had said was we have ventured to bring you a little present of he would not have felt perhaps the same conviction on the matter as his wife did as it was he observed nay but that was quick work i suppose he was making up for lost time observed mrs who was in great spirits it was a high testimony to her that she was so since the stroke of fortune which would make her favourite such a happy woman would of necessity take her away from farm where she had won the hearts of both host and hostess and was as a daughter of their own perhaps the farmer imagined that his wife had forgotten this dark side of the picture for he observed gravely if things are as you say little woman i am afraid you will feel parting with the she has found the same place in your heart that poor used to hold i reckon yes sighed mrs heaven forbid however i should grudge the dear girl to the man she loves besides marriage is not like death we don t lose her but only lend her and by the by remarked the you have lost something else remember by this love affair won your white not a bit of it said his wife on the contrary you have reminded me that i have won your cow my words were replied her husband with a seriousness that it was easy for one of his to affect i ll lay my best cow against your white donkey that this time next month miss is engaged to be married yes but you meant to mr now it s a most extraordinary thing observed the farmer that whenever a woman makes a bet and loses it she always tries to make out she won it you know very well i ve won it william very well we ll just refer it to a third person here s mr and who count as one and indeed look like it � dear me he had his arm round her waist though he has just whipped it away � now i ll appeal to them mr raising his voice my wife has bet b be quiet william how date � il d� hia q putting her hand up to his i to e i m creek cottage has bet white donkey to my best cow for shame william for shame that you and miss here what with laughter and the his had contrived for him the good natured stood in peril of well if you ll give in little woman not say another word he otherwise � her bet was mr the donkey is yours w cried poor mrs in f but i think you are very mean i don t suppose the took possession of his prize or meant to take it but never over any bargain at fair or market had he grinned and chuckled as he did over the winning of that white donkey the circumstances however from who i fancy for all her innocent looks guessed what that 