look were listless
and dogged; at last Tom broke silence.

"You promised not to do anything, after you came out, without
speaking to me." Harry made no reply; so presently he went on:--

"I didn't think you'd have gone in for such a business as that
to-night. I shouldn't have minded so much if it had only been
machine-breaking; but robbing the cellar and staving in the ale
casks and maiming cattle--"

"I'd no hand in that," interrupted Harry.

"I'm glad to hear it. You were certainly leaning against the gate
when I came up, and taking no part in it; but you were one of the
leaders of the riot."

"He brought it on hisself," said Harry, doggedly. "Tester is a
bad man, I know that; and the people have much to complain of:
but nothing can justify what was done to-night." Harry made no
answer.

"You're known, and they'll be after you the first thing in the
morning. I don't know what's to be done."

"'Tis very little odds what happens to me."

"You've no right to say that, Harry. Your friends--"

"I ain't got no friends."

"Well, Harry, I don't think you ought to say that after what has
happened to-night. I don't mean to say that my friendship has
done you much good yet; but I've done what I could, and--"

"So you hev', Master Tom, so you hev'."

"And I'll stick by you through thick and thin, Harry. But you
must take heart and stick by yourself, or we shall never pull you
through." Harry groaned, and then, turning at once to what was
always uppermost in his mind, said,--

"'Tis no good, now I've been in gaol. Her father wur allus agin
me. And now, how be I ever to hold up my head at whoam? I seen
her once arter I came out."

"Well, and what happened?" said Tom, after waiting a moment or
two.

"She just turned red and pale, and was all flustered like, and
made as though she'd have held out her hand; and then tuk and
hurried off like a frightened hare, as though she heerd somebody
comin'. Ah! 'tis no good! 'tis no good!"

"I don't see anything very hopeless in that," said Tom.

"I've knowed her since she wur that high," went on Harry, holding
out his hand about as high as the bottom of his waistcoat,
without noticing the interruption, "when her and I went gleanin'
together. 'Tis what I've thought on, and lived for. 'Tis four
year and better since she and I broke a sixpence auver't. And at
times it sim'd as tho' 'twould all cum right, when my poor mother
wur livin', tho' her never tuk to it kindly, moth