“Tha comes o’ thine own accord, lass, doesn’t ter? It’s non me as forces thee?”

Connie looked at Hilda.

“I wish you wouldn’t cavil, Hilda.”

“Naturally I don’t want to. But someone has to think about things. You’ve got to have some of continuity in your life. You can’t just go making a mess.”

There was a moment’s pause.

“Eh, continuity!” he said. “An’ what by that? What continuity ’ave yer got i’ your life? I thought you was gettin’ divorced. What continuity’s that? Continuity o’ yer own stubbornness. I can see that much. An’ what good’s it goin’ to do yer? Yo’ll be sick o’ yer continuity afore yer a fat sight older. A stubborn woman an’ ’er own self-will: ay, they make a fat continuity, they do. Thank heaven, it isn’t me as ’as got th’ andlin’ of yer!”