When we reached home keen set for tea, there was the table laid all ready, and a scolding too for being late. But I turned away my mother's wrath by giving her Mr. Horsfall's greetings, and set her talking of him and his wife and all the family tree. For mother had a rare gift that way, knowing the relationship by blood and marriage of every family for miles around, and able, in a way you must hear to believe, to count up cousinships and half-cousins, and uncles and great uncles, till your brain turned round. Except my lord's family and the folk at the vicarage, who had come from the south, I think she made us akin to all the folk in Slaithwaite, Linthwaite and Lingards. As was natural, George took but little interest in this intimate pedigree, and about eight o'clock announced his resolve to take the road to the Brigg. He was greatly pressed to stay to supper, but would not, much to my mother's concern, who had a firm persuasion, that town bred lads never got enough to eat, and cherished a suspicion that George, though as hale and hearty a youth as ever went on two legs, and one as little likely as any to be put on, was starved as to his body and broken as to his spirit by his step-father. It befell that night, whether by chance or that my mother schemed it so, that she and I sat up by the fireside after all the others had gone to bed. My mother had her eternal knitting, and I tried to settle my mind to a book; but could not, for thinking of matters not on the printed page. I gave up the effort after a while, and set my mind resolutely to think on my promise to join the plot against the masters; but all to no good, for do what I would, my thoughts strayed to what George had said of Mary, and I liked it less and less. It gave me a turn when my mother said-- "Mary grows a fine lass and noan ill-favoured, think'st ta, Ben? Not 'at aw set much store on good looks, for beauty's but skin deep, as is weel known. But Mary's one 'at 'll wear well, an' keep her looks to th' last," continued my mother, without waiting for the opinion she had asked from me. "Aw was just such another misen when yo'r father begun a courting me." Now I opened my eyes at this, for it had never occurred to me to think of my mother as a beauty. "Not but what there's points in Mary 'at could be mended," went on my mother serenely. "She's a notion o' keepin' things straight an' tidy, but 'oo's a bit too finickin' in her ways an' too mindful o' her hair an' careful o' her hands, an' happen too fond o' colour in her ribbons; but 'oo'l mend o' that when th' children come. An' she's mebbe too free o' her tongue." Oh, mother! mother! "But that comes o' your father encouragin' her an' laughin' at her answerin' back, when it would seem her better to hearken to what I have to say an' be thankful 'oo has a aunt to tak' pains wi' her." "Aw dunnot doubt 'oo is," I cried.