‘How did it happen?’
‘Why, Jeremiah, o’ course,’ said Affery, with an end of the pillow-case between her teeth.
‘Of course he proposed it, but how did it all come about? I should have thought that neither of you would have married; least of all should I have thought of your marrying each other.’
‘No more should I,’ said Mrs Flintwinch, tying the pillow tightly in its case.
‘That’s what I mean. When did you begin to think otherwise?’
‘Never begun to think otherwise at all,’ said Mrs Flintwinch.
Seeing, as she patted the pillow into its place on the bolster, that he was still looking at her as if waiting for the rest of her reply, she gave it a great poke in the middle, and asked, ‘How could I help myself?’
‘How could you help yourself from being married!’
‘O’ course,’ said Mrs Flintwinch. ‘It was no doing o’ mine. I’d never thought of it. I’d got something to do, without thinking, indeed! She kept me to it (as well as he) when she could go about, and she could go about then.’
‘Well?’