cheek; 'they must not be
forgotten. We must make amends for this as soon as we can.
Patience--patience, and we'll right thee yet, I promise thee. Lose
to-day, win to-morrow. And nothing can be won without anxiety and
care--nothing. Come, I am ready.'

'Do you know what the time is?' said Mr Groves, who was smoking with
his friends. 'Past twelve o'clock--'

'--And a rainy night,' added the stout man.

'The Valiant Soldier, by James Groves. Good beds. Cheap entertainment
for man and beast,' said Mr Groves, quoting his sign-board. 'Half-past
twelve o'clock.'

'It's very late,' said the uneasy child. 'I wish we had gone before.
What will they think of us! It will be two o'clock by the time we get
back. What would it cost, sir, if we stopped here?'

'Two good beds, one-and-sixpence; supper and beer one shilling; total
two shillings and sixpence,' replied the Valiant Soldier.

Now, Nell had still the piece of gold sewn in her dress; and when she
came to consider the lateness of the hour, and the somnolent habits of
Mrs Jarley, and to imagine the state of consternation in which they
would certainly throw that good lady by knocking her up in the middle
of the night--and when she reflected, on the other hand, that if they
remained where they were, and rose early in the morning, they might get
back before she awoke, and could plead the violence of the storm by
which they had been overtaken, as a good apology for their absence--she
decided, after a great deal of hesitation, to remain. She therefore
took her grandfather aside, and telling him that she had still enough
left to defray the cost of their lodging, proposed that they should
stay there for the night.

'If I had had but that money before--If I had only known of it a few
minutes ago!' muttered the old man.

'We will decide to stop here if you please,' said Nell, turning hastily
to the landlord.

'I think that's prudent,' returned Mr Groves. 'You shall have your
suppers directly.'

Accordingly, when Mr Groves had smoked his pipe out, knocked out the
ashes, and placed it carefully in a corner of the fire-place, with the
bowl downwards, he brought in the bread and cheese, and beer, with many
high encomiums upon their excellence, and bade his guests fall to, and
make themselves at home. Nell and her grandfather ate sparingly, for
both were occupied with their own reflections; the other gentlemen, for
whose constitutions beer was too weak and tame a l