e ground, 'that you once were hostler at the
Maypole.'

Hugh opened his eyes on hearing this, and looked at him in great
surprise.

'--And so you were, too,' said Mr Tappertit, pushing him away with a
condescending playfulness. 'When did MY eyes ever deceive--unless it was
a young woman! Don't you know me now?'

'Why it an't--' Hugh faltered.

'An't it?' said Mr Tappertit. 'Are you sure of that? You remember G.
Varden, don't you?'

Certainly Hugh did, and he remembered D. Varden too; but that he didn't
tell him.

'You remember coming down there, before I was out of my time, to ask
after a vagabond that had bolted off, and left his disconsolate father a
prey to the bitterest emotions, and all the rest of it--don't you?' said
Mr Tappertit.

'Of course I do!' cried Hugh. 'And I saw you there.'

'Saw me there!' said Mr Tappertit. 'Yes, I should think you did see
me there. The place would be troubled to go on without me. Don't you
remember my thinking you liked the vagabond, and on that account going
to quarrel with you; and then finding you detested him worse than
poison, going to drink with you? Don't you remember that?'

'To be sure!' cried Hugh.

'Well! and are you in the same mind now?' said Mr Tappertit.

'Yes!' roared Hugh.

'You speak like a man,' said Mr Tappertit, 'and I'll shake hands with
you.' With these conciliatory expressions he suited the action to the
word; and Hugh meeting his advances readily, they performed the ceremony
with a show of great heartiness.

'I find,' said Mr Tappertit, looking round on the assembled guests,
'that brother What's-his-name and I are old acquaintance.--You never
heard anything more of that rascal, I suppose, eh?'

'Not a syllable,' replied Hugh. 'I never want to. I don't believe I ever
shall. He's dead long ago, I hope.'

'It's to be hoped, for the sake of mankind in general and the happiness
of society, that he is,' said Mr Tappertit, rubbing his palm upon his
legs, and looking at it between whiles. 'Is your other hand at all
cleaner? Much the same. Well, I'll owe you another shake. We'll suppose
it done, if you've no objection.'

Hugh laughed again, and with such thorough abandonment to his mad
humour, that his limbs seemed dislocated, and his whole frame in danger
of tumbling to pieces; but Mr Tappertit, so far from receiving this
extreme merriment with any irritation, was pleased to regard it with the
utmost favour, and even to join in it, so far as one