“Go ’long with yer!” she said laughing. “It’s a pity there shouldn’t be some on ’em as plays the turtle-dove a bit! We ain’t all like you was—I believe you’d a done _your_ courtin’ through a speakin’ trumpet of you’d ’ad your way—you was that public. An’ I’m sure, considerin’ as ’ow they’ve only bin married this mornin’, you might giv’ ’em time to say a word or two to each other.” “Ole gal,” responded the Captain solemnly—“w’en I said ‘turtle-doves’ it were not to be took sarcastic. I honours ’im for ’is feelin’, an’ I fairly dotes on ’er blushes.” Mrs. Quist administered another kick to the Captain but seemed well pleased. “You an’ me, ole gal, ’ad not the figger ’eads for beauty w’en we stood up afore the parson; we might ’ave bin useful in our stations—but there’s no denyin’ as we was ’omely; pleasant to look upon if yer like—but ’omely.” “Well—yer needn’t rub it in,” retorted Mrs. Quist. “Far be it from me so to do, ole gal. But wot I would say is this ’ere; that it’s a delight for to look on them young ’uns as was married this mornin’. Adam an’ Eve in the garding of Eden a goin’ ’alves with the apple weren’t a prettier picture than ’Arry an’ Clara—take my word of it.” “Well Peter—I will say this for yer; that it was a good day’s work for you w’en you done the ’andsome by them young people. We ’aven’t any chicks of our own—an’ that boy ’as got sich a way with ’osses, that ’e was fairly born to look arter a circus. An’ the gel—well, I took a fancy to that child w’en fust she come to lodge with me at Chelmsford.” Mrs. Quist, with another friendly kick, returned into the caravan, and the Captain continued to smoke his pipe. Indeed, so engrossed was he with the pipe and with his own pleasant reflections, that he did not observe very closely a figure coming along the road towards him; or if he looked at it at all, saw in it merely a chance traveller and no concern of his. But presently as the figure drew nearer, a remarkable change came over the Captain. Gradually the hand which held the pipe came away from his mouth, bringing the pipe with it, but leaving the mouth open; the placidity of the Captain’s face changed and melted away, and in its place came an expression of blank amazement. Then as the figure came nearer still, amazement fled, and with a shout the Captain leapt to the ground and ran forward. “Phil Chater! Phil Chater come back to see ’is old pal!” he exclaimed, shaking the new-comer’s hand again and again. It was the Philip of six months before, save only for a certain weariness about the eyes and some lines in the face which had not been there before. He stopped the Captain with a gesture of his hand when that gentleman in his excitement would have summoned Mrs. Quist to share his joy, and they sat down together on the bank beside the patch of grass on which the caravan stood.