ead, but stopped, for it made the room seem to turn round.

"You need not mind," he continued, taking my hand. "It isn't so deep as
a well nor so wide as a church-door, as somebody once said. You don't
know who it was?"

"Shakespeare, sir," I said, rather drowsily.

"Bravo, young market-gardener!" he cried, laughing. "Oh! you're not
very bad. Now, then, what are you going to do--lie still here and be
nursed by Mr Brownsmith's maid, or get up and bear it like a man--try
the fresh air?"

"I'm going to get up, sir," I said quickly; and throwing my legs off the
sofa I stood up; but I had to stretch out my arms, for the room-walls
seemed to run by me, the floor to rise up, and I should have fallen if
the doctor had not taken my arm, giving me such pain that I cried out,
and the giddiness passed off, but only came back with more intensity.

He pressed me back gently and laid me upon the sofa.

"Where did I hurt you, my boy?" he said.

"My shoulder," I replied faintly.

"Ah! another injury!" he exclaimed. "I did not know of this. Tendon a
bit wrenched," he muttered as he felt me firmly but gently, giving me a
good deal of pain, which I tried hard to bear without showing it, though
the twitching of my face betrayed me. "You had better lie still a
little while, my man. You'll soon be better."

I obeyed his orders very willingly and lay still in a good deal of pain;
but I must soon have dropped off asleep for a while, waking to find it
growing dusk. The window was still open; and through it I could hear
the creaking of baskets as they were moved, and Old Brownsmith's voice
in loud altercation with Ike.

"Well, there," said the latter, "'tain't no use for me to keep on saying
I didn't, master, if you says I did."

"Not a bit, Ike; and I'll make you pay for the damage as sure as I stand
here."

"Oh! all right! I'm a rich man, master--lots o' money, and land, and
stock, and implements. Make me pay! I've saved a fortin on the
eighteen shillings a week. Here, what should I want to hurt the boy
for, master? Come, tell me that."

"Afraid he'd find out some of your tricks, I suppose."

"That's it: go it, master! Hark at that, now, after sarving him
faithful all these years!"

"Get on with your work and don't talk," cried Old Brownsmith sharply.
"Catch that rope. Mind you don't miss that handle."

"I sha'n't miss no handles," growled Ike; and as I lay listening to the
sawing noise made by the rope being