Moreover, I fancied that for some reason she was angry, judging by the form and manner of her reply; but I have since learned that the ordinary answers of Scotch and Yorkshire folk are apt to sound more like retorts than replies.
In the end I became very friendly with this good woman.

Her real name, I discovered, was not Betty.

"They call me Alathea," she said, meaning that that was her name, "but I've allus gone by the name of Betty." From her I learnt all the particulars of my dear friend's last illness, which I never should have got from the brother.
"He talked a deal about you," she said.

"But you see, you're just about t' age his son would have been if he'd lived." "His son!" I cried: "was Mr.Andrewes married ?" "Ay," said she, "Master Reginald were married going i' two year.

It were his wife's death made him that queer while he couldn't abide the business, and he'd allus been a great scholard, so he went for a parson." Every detail that I could get from Alathea was interesting to me.
Apart from the sadly interesting subject, she had admirable powers of narration.