out of the suspicious bottle--but this is mere speculation and not
distinct matter of history--it happened that being thus agreeably
engaged, she did not see the travellers when they first came up. It
was not until she was in the act of getting down the cup, and drawing a
long breath after the exertion of causing its contents to disappear,
that the lady of the caravan beheld an old man and a young child
walking slowly by, and glancing at her proceedings with eyes of modest
but hungry admiration.

'Hey!' cried the lady of the caravan, scooping the crumbs out of her
lap and swallowing the same before wiping her lips. 'Yes, to be
sure--Who won the Helter-Skelter Plate, child?'

'Won what, ma'am?' asked Nell.

'The Helter-Skelter Plate at the races, child--the plate that was run
for on the second day.'

'On the second day, ma'am?'

'Second day! Yes, second day,' repeated the lady with an air of
impatience. 'Can't you say who won the Helter-Skelter Plate when
you're asked the question civilly?'

'I don't know, ma'am.'

'Don't know!' repeated the lady of the caravan; 'why, you were there.
I saw you with my own eyes.'

Nell was not a little alarmed to hear this, supposing that the lady
might be intimately acquainted with the firm of Short and Codlin; but
what followed tended to reassure her.

'And very sorry I was,' said the lady of the caravan, 'to see you in
company with a Punch; a low, practical, wulgar wretch, that people
should scorn to look at.'

'I was not there by choice,' returned the child; 'we didn't know our
way, and the two men were very kind to us, and let us travel with them.
Do you--do you know them, ma'am?'

'Know 'em, child!' cried the lady of the caravan in a sort of shriek.
'Know them! But you're young and inexperienced, and that's your excuse
for asking sich a question. Do I look as if I know'd 'em, does the
caravan look as if it know'd 'em?'

'No, ma'am, no,' said the child, fearing she had committed some
grievous fault. 'I beg your pardon.'

It was granted immediately, though the lady still appeared much ruffled
and discomposed by the degrading supposition. The child then explained
that they had left the races on the first day, and were travelling to
the next town on that road, where they purposed to spend the night. As
the countenance of the stout lady began to clear up, she ventured to
inquire how far it was. The reply--which the stout lady did not come
to, until she had th