d
he proceeded to employ a spoon.

"Sista, my lad, wadsta like me to lend thee a shilling?"

Jabez grinned, and closed his fat fist on the coin thrust into his palm.

"I once knew a man as were the varra spitten picter of your master,"
said Gubblum. "In fact, his varra sel', upsett'n and doon thross'n. I
thowt it were hissel', that's the fact. But when I tackled him he
threept me down, and I was that vexed I could have bitten the side out
of a butter-bowl."

"But I ain't got no master," protested Jabez.

"I were riding by on my laal pony that day, but now I'm going shankum
naggum," continued Gubblum, unmindful of the pot-boy's mighty innocent
look. "'A canny morning to you, Master Paul,' I shouted, and on I went."

"Then you know his name?" said Jabez, opening wide his drowsy eyes.

"'Master Paul's half his time frae home,' says the chap on t'road.
'Coorse he is,' I says: 'it's me for knowing that,' Ah, I mind it same
as it were yesterday. I looked back, and there he was standing at the
door, and he just snitit his nose wi' his finger and thoom. Ey, he did,
for sure."

Jabez found his conscience abnormally active at that moment. "But I
ain't got none," he protested afresh.

"None what?"

"No master."

"That's a lie, my lad, for I see he's been putten a swine ring on yer
snout to keep ye frae rooting up the ground."

After this Gubblum sat a good half-hour in silence. Mrs. Drayton came
down-stairs and arranged that Gubblum should sleep that night in the
house. His bedroom was to be a little room at the back, entered from the
vicinity of the ladder that led to the attics.

Gubblum got up, said he was tired, and asked to be shown to his room.
Jabez lighted a candle, and they went off together.

"Whereiver does that lead to?" said Gubblum, pointing to the ladder near
his bedroom door.

"I dunno," said Jabez, moodily. He had been ruminating on Gubblum's
observation about the swine ring.

"He's as sour as vargis," thought Gubblum.

There was the creak of a footstep overhead.

"Who sleeps in the pigeon loft?" Gubblum asked, tipping his finger
upward.

"I dunno," repeated Jabez.

"His dander's up," thought Gubblum.

Just then the landlady in the bar heard the sound of wheels on the road,
and the next moment a carriage drew up at the open door.

"I say there, lend a hand here, quick!" shouted the driver.

Mrs. Drayton hobbled up. The flyman was leaning through the door of the
fly, helping some one