Then Lavinia told the story of her adventures, hesitatingly at first and
afterwards with more confidence seeing that Hannah sympathised and did
not chide or ridicule.

"An' do 'ee mean to tell me you're going to Twitenham to-morrow?"

Lavinia nodded.

"What, over a worthless young man who gets drunk at the first chance he
has?"

Lavinia fired up.

"He's not worthless and he wasn't drunk."

"Hoity-toity. What a pother to be sure. Well, I'll warrant he is by this
time."

"How do you know? If he is it won't be his fault. The others were
drinking and filling his glass. I saw them, the wretches," cried Lavinia
with heightened colour. "But it is nothing to me," she went on tossing
her head. "Why should I bother if a man drinks or doesn't drink?"

"Why indeed," said Hannah ironically. "Since you don't care we needn't
talk about him."

"No, we won't, if you've only unkind things to say."

"Eh, would you have me tell you how well you've behaved and how good you