"I didn't
hear as how she was expecting of any one," he added, with a
glance at the boxes, formlessly visible on the cab, through the
now thicker darkness.
"She is expecting me, I know," returned Mary; "but of course she
would not stay at home to receive me," she remarked, with a
smile.
"Oh!" returned the man, in a peculiar tone, and adding, "I'll
see," went away, leaving her on the top of the steps, with the
cabman behind her, at the bottom of them, waiting orders to get
her boxes down.
"It don't appear as you was overwelcome, miss!" he remarked: with
his comrades on the stand he passed for a wit; "--leastways, it
don't seem as your sheets was quite done hairing."
"It's all right," said Mary, cheerfully.
She was not ready to imagine her dignity in danger, therefore did
not provoke assault upon it by anxiety for its safety.
"I'm sorry to hear it, miss," the man rejoined.
"Why?" she asked.
"'Cause I should ha' liked to ha' taken _you_ farther."
"But why?" said Mary, the second time, not understanding him, and
not unwilling to cover the awkwardness of that slow minute of
waiting.
"Because it gives a poor man with a whole family o' prowocations
some'at of a chance, to 'ave a affable young lady like you, miss,
behind him in his cab, once a year, or thereabouts. It's not by
no means as I'd have you go farther and fare worse, which it's a
sayin' as I've heerd said, miss.
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