She's a
beautiful and simple character, in my opinion, and her heart's as fine as
her face; but it won't do for her to get a fellow who is reckless and too
fond of himself. She must have the right one, who puts her first, and
though there's a few decent chaps in the running, now they know Dicky
Bewes is down and out, yet I wouldn't say there's just the chap anybody
would choose for her."
Well, Mrs. Cobley looked at him with a good bit of astonishment, for such
modesty she couldn't believe ever dwelt in a male. She knew, under promise
of secrecy, that Jack was a tolerable rich man; but he'd bade her not
breathe the fact.
And Mary Cobley knew something else also, which she couldn't very well
tell her son till now, so she'd kept her secret; but when she heard as he
was busy finding somebody as might be good enough for Milly Boon, the
woman in her broke loose and she said a thing she'd never said afore.
"Of all zanies, you be the biggest in the parish," said Mrs. Cobley; "and
however you had the wits to win a fortune and make hard-headed men in the
West Indies believe in you, I'm gormed if I know, Jack!"
He was put about at that.
"Would you say as I didn't ought to meddle in her affairs no more?" he
asked. "You see, I've comed to feel very kindly to the lovely creature,
and I'd work my fingers to the bone to find the man worthy of her; but if
I'm too pushing--"
"Pushing!" she said.
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