e road at the minute Mr. Evans went out of the gate; and he bethought
himself of asking them if they had met a little boy in their way,
describing Bernard.

"The old woman of the party told him that they had met such a boy, and
told him also exactly where. It struck Mr. Evans at once that the child
had set out to go to nurse's; and without losing another minute he
called Tom, ordered him to saddle the pony, and was on his way towards
nurse's not ten minutes after he had spoken to the old woman. He made
the pony go at a very brisk trot, wherever the steepness of the road
would allow.

"Bernard had really fallen asleep under the hedge after some time, and
had only just awakened when Mr. Evans came trotting round the foot of
the hill.

"The worthy man no sooner saw him than he came almost cantering up,
sprang from the quiet pony, and caught him in his arms.

"'My son! my child!' he said, whilst his eyes filled with tears; 'my
poor boy, why are you here? What has happened? Do you not know that
when you lost a better father, you became to me like a son, and that I
then resolved to be a father to you so long as you needed one? If
anything goes wrong with you, my boy, under my roof, come to me and
tell me, as you would have done to your own father, and be sure that so
long as I have a loaf you shall have a son's portion of it.'

"No one can describe the effect of Mr. Evans's kindness on the heart of
poor Bernard; again and again he fell on his neck and kissed him; and
so full of love and gentleness was the child that he whispered:

"'Don't ask me why I ran away; I promise you that when I run again from
the same people, I will run to you; and if you are out, I will only
hide myself till you come back.'

"'It shall not happen again,' said Mr. Evans, who had observed the
marks of the strokes on the child's face; 'it shall not happen again; I
will prevent it; but I will ask no questions.'

"So saying, he lifted Bernard on the pony with the long tail, and
taking the bridle in his hand, they set off together down the hill.

"Mr. Evans had gone off in such a hurry that he had not told anyone
that he had heard of Bernard; and therefore, without planning any such
thing, he had left the people at home in the greatest trouble, their
alarm becoming more and more every minute in which the child could not
be found.

"Mr. Evans and Bernard had first, in their way from the round hill, to
go down a very steep bit of road, into a ki