not know how broadly Yorkshire sounds until you
have heard some one speak it. Colin began to
laugh.

"What are you doing?" he said. "I never
heard you talk like that before. How funny it
sounds."

"I'm givin' thee a bit o' Yorkshire," answered
Mary triumphantly. "I canna' talk as graidely
as Dickon an' Martha can but tha' sees I can shape
a bit. Doesn't tha' understand a bit o' Yorkshire
when tha' hears it? An' tha' a Yorkshire lad thysel'
bred an' born! Eh! I wonder tha'rt not
ashamed o' thy face."

And then she began to laugh too and they both
laughed until they could not stop themselves and
they laughed until the room echoed and Mrs.
Medlock opening the door to come in drew back
into the corridor and stood listening amazed.

"Well, upon my word!" she said, speaking
rather broad Yorkshire herself because there was
no one to hear her and she was so astonished.
"Whoever heard th' like! Whoever on earth
would ha' thought it!"

There was so much to talk about. It seemed
as if Colin could never hear enough of Dickon
and Captain and Soot and Nut and Shell and the
pony whose name was Jump. Mary had run
round into the wood with Dickon to see Jump. He

[[234]]

p233 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p234w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p235

v?