ent me, is there
father?"

"Not that I know of, my dear," said Toby; "but they're always a-bringing
up some new law or other."

"And according to what I was reading you in the paper the other day,
father, what the judge said, you know, we poor people are supposed to
know them all. Ha, ha! What a mistake! My goodness me, how clever they
think us!"

"Yes, my dear," cried Trotty; "and they'd be very fond of any one of us
that _did_ know 'em all. He'd grow fat upon the work he'd get, that man,
and be popular with the gentlefolks in his neighborhood. Very much so!"

"He'd eat his dinner with an appetite, whoever he was, if it smelt like
this," said Meg cheerfully. "Make haste, for there's a hot potato
besides, and half a pint of fresh-drawn beer in a bottle. Where will you
dine, father--on the post or on the steps? Dear, dear, how grand we are!
Two places to choose from!"

"The steps to-day, my pet," said Trotty. "Steps in dry weather, post in
wet. There's greater conveniency in the steps at all times, because of
the sitting down; but they're rheumatic in the damp."

"Then, here," said Meg, clapping her hands after a moment's bustle;
"here it is all ready! And beautiful it looks! Come, father. Come!"

[Illustration: "They Broke in Like a Grace, My Dear."

Page 13]

And just as Toby was about to sit down to his dinner on the door-steps
of a big house close by, the chimes rang out again, and Toby took off
his hat and said, "Amen."

"Amen to the bells, father?"

"They broke in like a grace, my dear," said Trotty; "they'd say a good
one if they could, I'm sure. Many's the kind thing they say to me. How
often have I heard them bells say, 'Toby Veck, keep a good heart, Toby!'
A million times? More!"

"Well, I never!" cried Meg.

"When things is very bad, then it's 'Toby Veck, Toby Veck, job coming
soon, Toby!'"

"And it comes--at last, father," said Meg, with a touch of sadness in
her pleasant voice.

"Always," answered Toby. "Never fails."

While this discourse was holding, Trotty made no pause in his attack
upon the savory meat before him, but cut and ate, and cut and drank, and
cut and chewed, and dodged about from tripe to hot potato, and from hot
potato back again to tripe, with an unfailing relish. But happening now
to look all round the street--in case anybody should be beckoning from
any door or window for a porter--his eyes, in coming back again, saw Meg