"Hullo, Tom! What's brought you over to-night? Will you have a cup of tea?" "That I will!" said Tom. "Where's Jane?" "Gone for the beer," said Jim shortly. "You'd be a deal better off and a deal happier, both of you, if you didn't take any of that stuff," said Tom. "It makes Jane quarrelsome, I'm certain of it." "I'd give it up if she would," said Jim valiantly. Then he added in a shamefaced sort of way, "you see, when I do give it up for a bit, she has it, and the smell and everything--well, I want it again!" Tom nodded, gulped down his tea and set down his cup. "You asked what brought me over," he said. "Pattie has given me up!" "What!" demanded Jim incredulously, "given you up! Why?" Tom's face worked. He was a simple-hearted fellow, and he loved foolish little worldly-minded Pattie very dearly. "I believe," he said unsteadily, "I believe it's money what's done it. She was always so fond of me, was Pattie, and I thought she loved me with all her heart, as I did her. But one of her young ladies has got engaged to a gentleman as is pretty well off, and I s'pose--in fact, Pattie allowed it was so--they got talking, as girls will, and it's turned Pattie's head. 'She don't want to marry poor'--them's just her words--and so she's----" "Chucked you," said Jim grimly. Tom sighed deeply. "I told her as my wage, though not big, was reg'lar, winter and summer, and that was better than a big wage in the summer and being out of work in the winter; and I don't drink--nor smoke--and them two things makes a hole in any fellow's wages; but there--talking ain't no good--argufying don't bring love. I suppose she don't care for me and that's all about it." He reached out his cup for more tea and gulped it down; it seemed to help him to gulp down his feelings. "I feel a bit done," he said after a minute's silence. "I'll be better to-morrow. I never thought as how my love-making would end like this." Jim got up and gave him a hearty thump on his back. "Don't you be downhearted," he said, "you keep on steady and wait a bit. You'll be seeing her looking downhearted soon, you mark my word, and then you can step up and say, 'Is't me you want, my girl?' You're a right down good fellow, Tom, and she don't know yet what she's giving up." Tom looked a little more cheerful. "You can tell Jane," he said, rising to go. "That's her on the stairs," answered Jim. "I'm going off to bed, so you can stay and tell her yourself. She's out of sorts with me." So Jane, with her jug of supper beer, found only her brother waiting for her. She greeted him effusively, and insisted on spreading the table afresh with meat and bread and cheese, talking incessantly and laughing loud and long as she did so, and Tom, knowing what it meant, wished he had gone before her return. But being there and having come on purpose, in a moment's lull in her stream of talk, he told her about Pattie.