"You are mistaken, in supposing me a beggar. I am no beggar; any more than yourself or your young ladies."
After a pause, she said, "I dunnut understand that: you've like no house, nor no brass, I guess?"
"The want of house or brass (by which I suppose you mean money) does not make a beggar in your sense of the word."
"Are you book-learned?" she inquired, presently.
"Yes, very."
"But you've never been to boarding-school?"
"I was at a boarding-school eight years."
She opened her eyes wide. "Whatever cannot ye keep yourseln for, then?"
"I have kept myself; and, I trust, shall keep myself again. What are you going to do with these gooseberries?" I inquired, as she brought out a basket of the fruit.
"Mak' em into pies."
"Give them to me and I'll pick them."
"Nay; I dunnut want ye to do nought."
"But I must do something. Let me have them."
She consented; and she even brought me a clean towel to spread over my dress, "lest," as she said, "I should mucky it."
G 2
