grand-daughter, a pretty looking girl of about eighteen, came in with a
basket of eggs in her hand. "Well, Lucy," said Lady Anne, "have you
overcome your dislike to James Jackson?" The girl reddened, smiled, and
looked at her grand-mother, who answered for her in an arch tone, "Oh,
yes, my lady! We are not afraid of Jackson _now_; we are grown very great
friends. This pretty cane chair for my good man was his handiwork, and
these baskets he made for me. Indeed, he's a most industrious, ingenious,
good-natured youth; and our Lucy takes no offence at his courting her now,
my lady, I can assure you. That necklace, which is never off her neck now,
he turned for her, my lady; it is a present of his. So I tell him he need
not be discouraged, though so be she did not take to him at the first; for
she's a good girl, and a sensible girl--I say it, though she's my own; and
the eyes are used to a face after a time, and then it's nothing. They say,
fancy's all in all in love: now in my judgment, fancy's little or nothing
with girls that have sense. But I beg pardon for prating at this rate,
more especially when I am so old as to have forgot all the little I ever
knew about such things."

"But you have the best right in the world to speak about such things, and
your grand-daughter has the best reason in the world to listen to you,"
said Lady Anne, "because, in spite of all the crosses of fortune, you have
been an excellent and happy wife, at least ever since I can remember."

"And ever since I can remember, that's more; no offence to your ladyship,"
said the old man, striking his crutch against the ground. "Ever since I
can remember, she has made me the happiest man in the whole world, in the
whole parish, as every body knows, and I best of all!" cried he, with a
degree of enthusiasm that lighted up his aged countenance, and animated
his feeble voice.