"Aye! that's it--abductin'. Weel, if he's got that bee i' his bonnet he's noan frettin' hissen ower th' Bradburys, whether he killed them hissen or Ephraim had a hand i' it, which aw'm thinkin' we'st nivver know, unless they're nabbed, an that they'll nivver be till bobbies an' detectives get more sense than they han now. It 'ud ma' a pig laugh to hear th' policeman at Diggle layin' th' law down on th' subjec' o' Bill's o' Jack's. It's Pat's an' Platts an' Platts an' Pats, an' he suspects ivvery Irish navvy atween Diggle an' Greenfielt, an' every man, woman, an' child christened Platt, an' there's scores on 'em in Saddleworth. An' th' miracle to me is at onnybody can go on sayin' Platts an' Platts an' ne'er tumble to Burnplatts: it's like a chap at canna see th' wood for trees. I' my humble opinion th' greatest benefactors o' th' criminal classes is th' bobbies. If ivver aw do summat raal bad aw'st go live next door to a bobby an then aw'st be safe. But aw'm wanderin' fro' my subjec'. What aw'm drivin' at is, 'at Daft Billy bein' what he is, an' no friend to th' law nor th' law to him, he'll gi' it a wide berth. Nowt'll fetch him into these parts agen, unless he thinks Miriam's i' danger. That 'ud bring him: nowt more an' nowt less. He'll noan blab, trust him. Ephraim might if there were owt to gain by it, but is there?" "There's the offered reward of £200," reminded my father. "Exac'ly," continued Jim imperturbably, "and if aw remember reetly it says that th' actooal murderer needn't apply. They'n no use for him excep' to hang him. An' that ma'es me think Ephraim has his own reason for lying low an' keepin' his own counsel. Yo' see fro' what Abe an' me yeard that neet Ephraim were ready to set agate at the owd man an' Tom onny minnit. He were just fixin' for a feight, an' aw dunnot think he were partirkler who it were with. But, theer, it all comes back to this: aw cannot see we can do onny gooid bi speikin' nah, an' aw can we med put Billy's neck i' th' halter; an' aw think that ud abaat finish Miriam off." "Well, Well," said my father, "we'll let sleeping dogs lie." "Besides," continued Jim, "aw'm stalled o' th' whole business. Nother Abe nor me's struck a bat to mean owt this month back. We'n aar livin' to addle, an' while aw'm on th' subjec', Mr. Holmes, aw sud like to ax yo', sir, axin' yo'r pardon for ma'in' so bowd, an' weel knowin' 'at oo's far aboon what aw'n onny reight to look to, if yo'n onny partickler objection to me for a son-in-law. Aw know aw'n not bin dipped, but that can happen bi getten over, though aw sud tak' it kindly if yo'd put a drop o' warm watter i' th' dippin'-well, me bein' nobbut delicate. Aw'll tew for her neet an day, an there's no need to say aw'll let her ha' her own way i' ivverything. Oo'll see to that." "Ah. Jim, Jim," said my father, "I've ever thanked God for giving me Abe. I shall not blame Ruth for giving me you."