"Eh! bless us," was Mrs. Briarley's answer. "Yo' need na moind her. She's set agen ivverybody. She's th' nowtest owd piece i' Christendom."
A few days after Haworth had awakened to find his mother standing near him, Mrs. Haworth paid a visit to the Briarleys. She took with her a basket, which the poor of Broxton had long since learned to know. In this case it contained stockings for the little Briarleys and a dress or so for the baby.
When she had bestowed her gifts and seated herself, she turned to Granny Dixon with some tremor of manner.
"I hope you're well, ma'am," she said.
Granny Dixon made no reply. She sat bent over in her chair, regarding her for a few seconds with unblinking gaze. Then she slowly pointed with her thin, crooked finger to the little presents.
"He sent 'em, did he?" she trumpeted forth. "Haworth?"
Mrs. Haworth quailed before her.
"Yes, ma'am," she answered, "leastways——"
Granny Dixon stopped her.