" Not if you will be warned by me, madam. No, no,
I beg you will not think it was to urge severity that I
made you this visit. No, no, it was merely to suggest
prudence. Your humble servant, madam."

" Your very devoted, sir."

The widow curtsied the Beau out of the room, and,
having heard the front door closed, she watched in
prim disgust for the entrance of Betty.
That young woman presently came into the room.
" Well, vixen I " said the widow.
" La ! ma'am, what is it? "

"Well, gypsy!"

" Not a drop in my family, ma'am, and that's more
than some of the cottage-folk near by can say."

" Well, little Impropriety, what excuse have you to
hand? "

Betty asked what Impropriety meant.
" Would it be stealing you mean, ma'am? "

" Well, Madam Indecency! "

Betty suddenly saw the widow's amber petticoat
gleaming through the unfastened placket.
" Dear love and barley breaks ! However did I come
to leave that undone! Never mind, ma'am. 'Tis not
as if he'd caught a sight of your smock, though for my



146 THE PASSIONATE ELOPEMENT

part I should not be afraid to show clean linen to any
man, Bow or whatsoever."

" 'Tis not to talk of plackets that I called you, hussy,
but of packets — love-packets, notes, letters, assignations."

Betty began to understand. She remembered how
they had met Mr. Ripple that morning in Curtain
Garden, and at once connected the two incidents.
" 'Twould be about this very afternoen that you are
talking, ma'am? "

The widow was surprized. She had expected an
impregnable barrier of mock stupidity.
" It would," she now answered severely.
