"Perry," said the Tinker as, turning from the highway, Diogenes ambled down a narrow lane, "you've forgot to ask about this here watch o' mine." "Well, how is it, Jerry?" "Never was such a watch! Look at it! Reg'lar as the sun! Which riles Jessamy. Y' see, his ain't to be depended on nowadays, owing to a boot--" "A boot, Jerry?" laughed Diana. "At Maidstone Fair, Ann! Jessamy was preachin' Brotherly Love when a large cove in a white 'at up an' kicked him in the watch, which is apt to be a little unsettlin' to any timepiece. Anyhow, Jessamy's has never gone right since." "His watch again!" cried I. "Last time the trouble was a brick, I remember." "But Jerry, what happened to the 'cove' in the white hat?" enquired Diana. "Well, arter it was all over, Jessamy took him aside into a quiet corner an' they prayed together." "Jessamy was always a forceful evangelist!" she laughed. "And there he is." "Where?" questioned Diana. "Listen and you'll hear him, Ann!" Sure enough from the boskages adjacent came the ring and tap of a hammer to the accompaniment of a rich, sweet voice unpraised in song. Hereupon, setting two slim, white fingers to her mouth, Diana whistled loud and shrilly, to the Tinker's no small delight. Ensued a prodigious rustling and snapping of twigs and into the lane sprang the slender, shapely figure of Jessamy himself, as bright of eye, as light and quick of foot as ever. I will not dilate upon this second meeting, but it was good to feel the hearty grip of his fingers, to hear the glad welcome in his voice, to see how gallantly he stooped to kiss Diana's hand, and how his sun-tanned cheek flushed beneath the touch of her lips. "Why, Anna!" he exclaimed. "Well, well--you ha' become so--so--you look so uncommon--what I mean is--" "Beautiful!" said the Tinker. "Be-autiful's the word, Jess!" "Aye, aye, shipmate, so it is, comrade!" "And the next word is strike camp, Jessamy, up stick an' away, Jess--" "We're going to the old place, Jessamy!" nodded Diana. "Where you instructed me in the 'noble art,' Jessamy!" said I. "So it's all together and with a will, Jess!" added the Tinker. "Aye, aye--and heartily!" laughed Jessamy. I will pass over the labour of the ensuing hours wherein we all wrought cheerfully; but evening found us camped within that oft-remembered wood beside the stream whose murmurous waters seemed to find a voice to welcome us. CHAPTER VI WHICH, AS THE PATIENT READER SEES, IS THE LAST The Tinker stood resplendent in brass-buttoned coat of bottle green which, if a little threadbare at the seams, made up for this by the astonishing size and sheen of its buttons. At this precise moment (I remember) he was engaged in brushing it vigorously, pausing between whiles to pick carefully at certain refractory blemishes, to give an extra polish to some particular button, or consult the never-failing watch, for to-day Diana and I were to be married.