I flushed at this you may be sure, tho' Mary only put into words the thought that had tortured my waking hours and made my dreams hideous. That was a subject not to be dwelt on. So I made haste to revert to Faith. "Aw hannot told yo' yet, Mary, that I made a promise to John, too." "Yo seem to ha' been precious free wi thi promises." "Nay, Mary, what's come ovver thee? Its noan like thee to turn agen them 'at's i' trouble. It wer' at Kirklees, just before we started for Rawfolds." And I told Mary of what had passed between John Booth and me. "Well, what is it all leading to?" she asked. "A've been turning things ovver i' mi mind, Mary, as aw've laid o' mi back. Yo' see, Faith's nobbut a poor weak thing, an' fra all aw can hear her father's awmost as bad. Don't yo' think we ought to do summat to help her?" "With all my heart--as how?" "Nay, that's wheer aw'm fast. Cannot yo' suggest summat?" "Yo' might happen ask her if she wants a home--Martha 'll mebbe be so accommodatin' as to mak' room for her i' th' house. Martha could get another job fast enough, an' then yo'll have Faith under yo'r own e'en, an' it'll be little trouble to look after her then." "The thing's preposterous, Mary. The idea of Faith scouring and, milking and such like." "Yo' might perhaps offer her work at the spinning." "Why, Faith's been brought' up a lady," I cried. "It's no more nor yo'r mother an' me does every day of our lives. But to be sure I'm not a lady. But, perhaps, yo'd like to make Faith a present or allow her a pension. I'm glad to see things are mending wi' yo', Ben. Aw allus thowt yo' had nought but what yo' addled, an' that's like to be little enough for many a month to come. But, perhaps, tha's come in for a fortin', an' been keepin' it secret for fear o' killin' us wi' joy. Tell us on it, Ben. Aw'll try to bear it, if it isn't too dazzling." "Do quit thi teasing, Mary, an' talk some sense. It's no jesting matter for poor Faith." "And that's true enough, cousin, and I'm a wicked girl to run on so. But yo' aggravate me so wi' thi wild schemes an' foolish talk." "How foolish!" "Why, how can ta help Faith? It were reight enough for poor John to speak to yo'. I expect his heart wer' full, an' it eased him to speak to thee. But now what can yo' do? Tha has nowt, an' half nought's nought all th' world over." "I could be a brother to her, Mary." "Oh! a brother! I should ha' thowt yo'd had enough o' brotherhoods to sicken thi for life. Aw've no patience wi' thee. There's Faith living at Low Moor wi' her father, an' needed there, aw've little doubt, an' wi' her hands full enough, an' now yo' mun strike up a brotherhood wi' her. Aw suppose we'st ha' yo', as soon as yo'r up, settin' off every week end to Low Moor to play the brother. Yo'll ha' to take yo'r sister out for long walks aw suppose, an' to buy her rings an' keepsakes an' all that. Yo'll find it cheaper to buy her a plain 'un to begin wi'."