Mrs. Verstage was warm, both on account of the heat of the morning, but also because she had been hard at work. She fanned herself with a dish, and as she did so looked at the girl. "So--the Broom-Squire offered himself, did he?" Mehetabel made a sign in the affirmative. "Well," continued the hostess, "if he weren't so good a customer here he would be suitable enough. But yet a good wife will soon cure him. A hudger (bachelor) does things as a married man don't allow himself." Mehetabel looked questioningly at the landlady. She said: "There must be good stuff in a man, or marriage won't bring it out." "Who says there ain't good stuff in Bideabout?" "I have never seen the glint of it." "You don't see the iron ore as lies under the sand, but there it is, and when wanted it can be worked. I like a man to show his wust side forefront. There's many a man's character is like his wesket, red plush and flowers in front and calico in rags behind hid away under his coat." Mehetabel was surprised, troubled. She made no response, but color drifted across her face. "After all," pursued Mrs. Verstage, "he may ha' come here not after liquor, but drawed by you. Then you see he's been alone all these years, and scriptur' saith it ain't good for a man to be that. They goes sour and mouldy--men do if unmarried. I think you'd be fulfillin' your dooty, and actin' accordin' to the word o' God if you took him." "I--mother! I!" The girl shrank back. "Mother, let him take some one else. I don't want him." "But he wants you, and he don't want another. Matabel, it's all moonshine about leap year. The time never comes when the woman can ax the man. It's tother way up--and Providence made it so. Bideabout has a good bit o' land, for which he is his own landlord, he has money laid by, so folks tell. You might do worse. It's a great complerment he's paid you. You see he's well off, and you have nothin'. Men generally, nowadays, look out for wives that have a bit o' money to help buy a field, or a cow, or nothin' more than a hog. You see Bideabout's above that sort o' thing. If you can't have butter to your bread, you must put up wi' drippin." "I'm not going to take Bideabout," said Mehetabel. "I don't say you should. But he couldn't a took a fancy to you wi'out Providence ordainin' of it." "And if I don't like him," threw in the girl, half angry, half in tears, "I suppose that is the doings of Providence too?"