"I see the manner of man he is," he told Mrs. Cobley, "and I judge that if
he had a strong and sensible partner--a woman with her head screwed on the
right way--she could handle him all right and keep him decent and
straight. But she must be a woman of character who will win his respect
and keep his affection--a woman who'll love him very well and serve him
faithfully, but stand no messing about, nor any sort of nonsense. So the
question rises, be Milly Boon that sort of woman?"
His mother didn't know.
"She's a lovely creature," said Mary, "and a good woman and faithful to
her aunt, and that's all I know about her."
"Then, for your sake, I'll look deeper into it," Jack promised, and done
so according.
He went in for a dish of tea once and again, much to Mrs. Pedlar's
astonishment, for 'twas a novelty to have a male come in her house; but
Jack took it all very pleasant and heard her wrongs and condoled with her
sufferings and much hoped that things might get themselves righted and
Farmer Bewes be honest and keep his promise to the dead.
And meantime, he took stock of Milly Boon, and, after his first amazement
at her beauty and her lovely voice, and beseeching eyes, he studied her
character. And, after due thought, he came to the conclusion that, though
in his opinion a very beautiful nature belonged to Milly, and she was not
only lovely, but of a gracious and gentle spirit, yet he couldn't feel she
was built to get the whip-hand of a man like Dicky Bewes.
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