Well, White thought a minute before he replied. "When you say 'Milly,'" he
began, "you touch a delicate subject, and I ain't none too sure if I
didn't ought to tell you to shut your mouth. But still, I don't deny but
that's about the size of it. Me and Milly have been tokened very near
three years, and perfect love, Jo, on them terms may cast out fear and a
lot else, but it don't get you no forwarder--quite the contrary. Love
don't keep for ever, more than a leg of mutton will, and sometimes it
comes across me it may go a bit stale, if not actually bad. I fear nought
myself, of course, because Milly's a woman of her word and knows no
changing; but that cuts both ways and, while she's so firm as a rock about
my wages and in a manner of speaking puts money before love, then I
sometimes wonder who could blame me for doing the same. We'm very good
friends, and she'll be a damned fine wife, no doubt--when I get her; but,
meantime, things run a little on the cool side and I can't pretend I feel
so furious set in that quarter as I did three year agone. She ain't the
only pebble on the beach, to say it kindly, though a most amazing wonder
and well worth waiting for in reason. But there's others--not a few very
comely creatures as would reckon me along with three ten a week quite good
enough. I can't hide that from myself."
Well, this was meat and drink to Jonas, but he hid his heart for the
present, though his great excitement made his voice run up till it broke
and he had to begin again--a thing that happened to him sometimes.
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