Wherehaveyoubeento，firstplace？““Eh，lass，thatwouldtakealongtimetotell。Halfo’ertheworld，I
sometimesthink。BoltonandBury，andOwdham；andHalifax，and——butMary，guesswhoIsawthere？Maybeyouknowthough，soit’snotfairguessing。““No，Idonnot。Tellme，Margaret，forIcannotabidewaiting，andguessing。““Well，onenightasIweregoingfra’mylodgingswi’thehelponaladasbelongedtoth’landlady，tofindtheroomwhereIweretosing，Iheardacoughbeforeme，walkingalong。ThinksI，that’sJemWilson’s。cough，orI’mmuchmistaken。Nexttimecameasneezeandcough，andthenIwerecertain。FirstIhesitatedwhetherIshouldspeak，thinkingifitwereastrangerhe’dmaybethinkmeforrard。ButIknewblindfolksmustnotbeneshaboutusingtheirtongues，sosaysI，’JemWilson，isthatyou？’
Andsureenoughitwas，andnobodyelse。DidyouknowhewereinHalifax，Mary？““No，“sheansweredfaintlyandsadly；forHalifaxwasallthesametoherheartastheAntipodes；equallyinaccessiblebyhumblepenitentlooksandmaidenlytokensoflove。“Well，he’sthere，however：he’sputtingupanengineforsomefolksthere，forhismaster。He’sdoingwell，forhe’sgettenfourorfivemenunderhim；we’dtwoorthreemeetings，andhetelledmeallabouthisinventionfordoingawaywi’thecrank，orsomewhat。Hismaster’sboughtitfromhim，andta’enoutapatent，andJem’sagentlemanforlifewi’themoneyhismastergiedhim。Butyou’llha’heardallthis，Mary？“No!shehadnot。“Well，IthoughtitallhappenedaforeheleftManchester，andthenincourseyou’dha’known。ButmaybeitwereallsettledafterhegottoHalifax；
however，he’sgottentwoorthreehunderpoundsforhisinvention。Butwhat’supwithyou，Mary？you’resadlyoutofsorts。You’veneverbeenquarrellingwi’Jem，surely。“NowMarycriedoutright；shewasweakinbody，andunhappyinmind，andthetimewascomewhenshemighthavethereliefoftellinghergrief。
Shecouldnotbringherselftoconfesshowmuchofhersorrowwascausedbyherhavingbeenvainandfoolish；shehopedthatneedneverbeknown，andshecouldnotbeartothinkofit。“Oh，Margaret；doyouknowJemcamehereonenightwhenIwereputout，andcross。Oh，dear!dear!IcouldbitemytongueoutwhenIthinkonit。