"Well, aw nivver did!" exclaimed Ben. "Didn't yo' com' an' wakken me up, an' didn't Jack an' me awmost carry th' missus an' yar Lucy till we gate 'em on to th' 'ill-side. An' if we couldn't see mich on account o' th' dark we could hear enough. By God! aw thowt th' end o' th' world wer' come. An' th' skrikin'! Eh! lad, it wer' enough to freeze th' blood i' yo'r veins. But that didn't last long. It were short shrift for most on 'em. An' then wonderin' an' wonderin' what had come on yo'. Aw thowt Lucy'd go fair daft abaat yo'. That's a heart for feelin', if yo' like. Then Jack couldn't stand it no longer. He said he could swim down to Wilberlee if he could nobbut be sure of findin' th' road. He said 'at if tha wer' deead he'd as lief be deead, too, an' aat o' th' gate. An', by gosh, he off, an' 'atween runnin' an' wadin' an' swimmin' he gate theer, but theer wer nooa signs o' thee, or onybody else, for that matter, an' nowt but part o' th' mill truck to be seen. Th' chimbley wer' clean gone. But it wer' Jack that fun' thee all th' same up in Honley churchyard liggin' ovver a gravestooan. An' Miss Dorothy. Gow! lad, ha tha mun ha' hugged her. It's a mercy tha didn't squeeze th' life aat on her. Aw've nooan seen 'em missen, 't isn't likely," and, Ben winked; "but yar Hannah says oo's black an blue wheer thi arm held her. But oo'll think none th' worse of thee for that." "Get on with your story, Ben, and don't be frivolous. Where's Jack?" "Oh, Jack's all reight, barrin' 'at he says he's supped soa mich watter o' late that nowt but owd ale an' plenty on it 'll tak' th' taste aat of his maath." "But you mustn't let Jack get into evil courses Ben." "Oh! Jack 'll be reight enough when he's getten summat to do. But it's the owd tale. 'Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to do.' Yo' see ther's a seet o' folk come fro' all th' parts o' Yorkshire an' Lancashire to see th' course o' th' flood and th' deborah, as th' newspapper ca'd th' muck an' th' rubbish 'at's left. Holmfirth's more like a fair nor owt else. It's as bad as Honley Feeast time. An' all th' seet-seers 'at can get howd o' Jack mun treeat him. If he does get a bit fuddled afore bed-time it's little wonder. Aw've often noticed 'at folk 'll pay for a pint o' ale for a chap 'at wouldn't gi' him a penny-teea-cake if he wer clammin'. Dun they let yo' smoke i' this fine room, Tom? Aw'm fair dyin' for a reek o' baccy." But now Dorothy entered with a tray covered with a napkin snowy-white and on it a basin of arrowroot, and Ben slipped his clay and flat tin box into his pocket. "Aw rekkon aw'll be gooin', Tom, or Hannah 'll be flytin' me. Nivver yo' get wed, Tom, if yo' want to ca' yo'r soul yo'r own. It's just awful' th' way a felly's put on after he's once getten th' noose raand 'is neck. Tak a frien's advice Tom an' be warned i' time."