JOE. You see, Jem made sure of the money, and lived in such style--bought a horse and shay, and went to races, and played nine-pins--when, lo and behold! the old lady died and he found it was all left to a smooth-faced fellow that nobody never heard on, that got somehow or other into the old lady's good books and she had it writ down. It was all because Jem one day kicked her favorite dog, that used to fly at everybody's legs--now the dog's gone to live with a baker, and Jem's in prison for debt. MAR. And Harry Bacon, what's become of him? JOE. Gone to sea, because Mary Brown took up with a tailor what opened a shop from London. And you recollect Tom Hammer the blacksmith? MAR. Yes. JOE. Well, if he ain't gone and bought all Merryweather's pigs I'm a Dutchman! And Merryweather's gone to America, and the eldest daughter's married Sam Holloway the cutler, and folks say it ain't a good match, because he was a widow with three children all ready and she might have had Master Pollard the schoolmaster, and he's gone and turned serious and won't let the boys play at no games, and so they're all going away to a new man that'll let 'em do just what they like; and Will Twig has been found out stealing chickens, and he's in prison; and Johnny Trotter the postman has opened a grocer's shop; and they've pulled down the old parsonage and are building a new 'un; and the doctor's got a large lamp over his door with big blue and red bull's eyes; and there's a new beadle, and all the parish children have got the hooping-cough, and Mrs. Jenkins' cow's dead, and--that's all! MAR. Oh, Joe! I can shut my eyes and see everything and everybody you've been talking about, oh so plain! and to see you again does seem so like old times. JOE. And didn't we have games? when you used to climb up the cherry-tree, and call out to me, "Joe, come and help me, or I shall tumble down and break something!" MAR. Yes! and Joe, when my father used to take you and I to market, and we used to sit at the bottom of the cart and eat apples! JOE. And when sometimes I used to try to give you a kiss, what knocks on my nose you used to give me! MAR. Ah! didn't I? JOE. And when I got savage how I used to kick you wi' my hob-nail shoes! Oh! how friendly we was--wasn't we? MAR. And how we did sing! JOE. And dance! MAR. And were so happy! JOE. Oh, Margery! MAR. Oh, Joe! _JOE catches her in his arms and kisses her--At the same moment, SIR WILLIAM and LORD PLATO appear at the back, and stand in astonishment._ SIR W. Heavens! PLATO. Sir William! MAR. (_to JOE_) Don't go away--it's only my husband. SIR W. Who is this fellow, and what is he doing here? _JOE, still seated, stares at SIR WILLIAM and makes him a bow--SIR WILLIAM repeats the question._ MAR. It's my cousin Joe. He was only giving me a kiss just now--and I was so glad to see him, and he was so glad to see me, that we--we couldn't help it. JOE. No, we couldn't help it. PLATO. Exceedingly ingenious!