Come in and sit you down by the fire--it's coldish o' nights, to be sure, and there's frost in the air.
"This gentleman may come in, too, mayn't he, Mrs.Hamthwaite ?" asked Avice as she and Brereton stepped within the porch.

"He's the lawyer-gentleman who's defending my father--you won't mind speaking before him, will you ?" "Neither before him, nor behind him, nor yet to him," answered Mrs.
Hamthwaite with a chuckle.

"I've talked to lawyers afore today, many's the time! Come your ways in, sir--sit you down." She carefully closed the door on her guests and motioned them to seats by a bright fire of turf, and then setting the lamp on the table, seated herself in a corner of her long-settle and folding her hands in her apron took a long look at her visitors through a pair of unusually large spectacles.

And Brereton, genuinely interested, took an equally long look at her; and saw a woman who was obviously very old but whose face was eager, intelligent, and even vivacious.

As this queer old face turned from one to the other, its wrinkles smoothed out into a smile.
"You'll be wondering what I've got to tell, love," said Mrs.Hamthwaite, turning to Avice.