trength to-night, and if we stay awake we're
sure to get hungry.'

'Werry sound advice, Mas'r Dick,' said Mathews. 'But would I be
presumin', sir, to ask you a favour? I got a letter yesterday from my
old woman, and wot with her writin' and me bein' nought o' a scholar, I
was wonderin', Mas'r Dick, if you would just acquaint me with any fac's
that you might think the old girl would like me for to know.'

'Willingly,' said Dick, taking a sealed letter from the groom, who
squatted solemnly on the ground, assuming an air of deep contemplation,
as one who has to give an opinion on a hitherto unread masterpiece.

'It begins,' said Dick, with some difficulty making out the writing,
which was extremely small in some words and very large in others, and
punctuated mainly with blots--'"Dear Daddy"'----

'That,' said Mathews, 'is conseckens o' me bein' sire to little
Wellington.'

'Oh yes,' said Dick. '"Dear Daddy, ther ain't nothing to tell you
Wellington has took the mumps and the cat had some more kittens"'----

'That's a werry remark'ble cat,' observed Mathews. 'I never see a animal
so ambitious. Wot does the old girl say Wellington has took?'

'Mumps.'

'By Criky! I hope it don't go for to make his nose no bigger. Wot a
infant he is! Mumps! Go on, Mas'r Dick--the old girl's doin' fine.'

'"The day,"' resumed Dick--'"the day afor Tuesday come last week"'----

'Don't pull up, sir,' said Mathews as Dick paused to re-read the puzzling
words. 'You has to take my old woman at a good clip to get her
meanin'--but you'll find it hid somewere, Mas'r Dick. I never see the
old girl come a cropper yet.'

With this to guide him, the reader found his place again with the aid of
a blot, a half-inch square, which surrounded the first word. '"The day
afor Tuesday,"' he went on, '"come last week Wellington and the rector's
boy Charlie fit."'

'Werry good,' said Mathews approvingly.

'"Wellington's nose were badly done in and he looks awful bad but the
rector's boy"'----

'Wot does she say about him?' asked Mathews, staring into space.

'"The rector's boy could not see out of neither eye for 3 days."'

Repressing a chuckle by a great effort, Mathews hastily fumbled for his
corncob pipe, and placing it unlit in his mouth, continued to look into
space with a face that was almost purple from smothered exuberance.

'"Milord and Lady,"' resumed Dick, '"is just the same and Milord always
asks how you was and will I reme