"Oh!" repeated the Pedler, and, having turned this intelligence over in his mind, spat thoughtfully into the shadow again. "You won't be wantin' ever a broom, I think you said?"
"No," said I.
"Very well then!" he nodded, and, lifting his brooms, made towards the cottage door!
"Where are you going?"
"To sleep in this 'ere empty 'ut."
"But it isn't empty!"
"So much the better," nodded the Pedler, "good night!" and, with the words, he laid his hand upon the door, but, as he did so, it opened, and Charmian appeared. The Pedler fell back three or four paces, staring with round eyes.
"By Goles!" he exclaimed. "So you are married then?"
Now, when he said this I felt suddenly hot all over, even to the very tips of my ears, and, for the life of me, I could not have looked at Charmian.
"Why—why—" I began, but her smooth, soft voice came to my rescue.