"Of course I'm only a fat old woman as likes 'er joke an' a glass o' beer.
I'd be a fool ter lay down the law to a bloke as sharp as yous, that
thinks 'e can see everything. But I wasn't always so fat I 'ad ter
squeeze through the door, an' I tell yer the best things in life are them
yer can't see at all, an' that's the feelin's. So take a fool's advice,
an' don't think of marryin' till yer feel there's somethin' wrong wi' yer
inside, fer that's w'ere it ketches yer."

"'Ere, 'old 'ard! Can't a bloke git a word in edgeways?"

Mrs Yabsley stopped, with an odd smile on her face.

Jonah stared at her with a perplexed frown, and then the words came
in a rush.

"Look 'ere, missis, I wasn't goin' ter let on, but since yer on fer a
straight talk, I tell yer there's more in me than yer think, an' if it's
up ter me ter git married, I can do it without gittin' roused on by yous."

"Keep yer 'air on, Joe," said Mrs Yabsley, smiling. "I didn't mean ter
nark yer, but yer know wot I say is true. An' don't say I ever put it
inter yer 'ead ter git married. You've studied the matter, an' yer know
it means 'ard graft an' plenty of worry. There's nuthin' in it, Joe,
as yer said, an' besides, the Push is waitin' for yer.

"Of course, there's no 'arm in yer comin' 'ere ter see the kid, but I
'ope yer won't stand in Ada's way w'en she gits a chance. There's
Tom Mullins, that was after Ada before she ever took up wi' yous. Only
last week 'e told Mrs Jones 'e'd take Ada, kid an' all, if he got the