e, she laughed so heartily at it, that Nicholas
had the satisfaction of feeling assured that in all essential respects
it was strictly true.

'This is the second time,' said Nicholas, 'that we have ever taken a
meal together, and only third I have ever seen you; and yet it really
seems to me as if I were among old friends.'

'Weel!' observed the Yorkshireman, 'so I say.'

'And I am sure I do,' added his young wife.

'I have the best reason to be impressed with the feeling, mind,' said
Nicholas; 'for if it had not been for your kindness of heart, my good
friend, when I had no right or reason to expect it, I know not what
might have become of me or what plight I should have been in by this
time.'

'Talk aboot soom'at else,' replied John, gruffly, 'and dinnot bother.'

'It must be a new song to the same tune then,' said Nicholas, smiling.
'I told you in my letter that I deeply felt and admired your sympathy
with that poor lad, whom you released at the risk of involving yourself
in trouble and difficulty; but I can never tell you how greateful he and
I, and others whom you don't know, are to you for taking pity on him.'

'Ecod!' rejoined John Browdie, drawing up his chair; 'and I can never
tell YOU hoo gratful soom folks that we do know would be loikewise, if
THEY know'd I had takken pity on him.'

'Ah!' exclaimed Mrs Browdie, 'what a state I was in that night!'

'Were they at all disposed to give you credit for assisting in the
escape?' inquired Nicholas of John Browdie.

'Not a bit,' replied the Yorkshireman, extending his mouth from ear
to ear. 'There I lay, snoog in schoolmeasther's bed long efther it was
dark, and nobody coom nigh the pleace. "Weel!" thinks I, "he's got a
pretty good start, and if he bean't whoam by noo, he never will be; so
you may coom as quick as you loike, and foind us reddy"--that is, you
know, schoolmeasther might coom.'

'I understand,' said Nicholas.

'Presently,' resumed John, 'he DID coom. I heerd door shut doonstairs,
and him a warking, oop in the daark. "Slow and steddy," I says to
myself, "tak' your time, sir--no hurry." He cooms to the door, turns the
key--turns the key when there warn't nothing to hoold the lock--and ca's
oot "Hallo, there!"--"Yes," thinks I, "you may do thot agean, and
not wakken anybody, sir." "Hallo, there," he says, and then he stops.
"Thou'd betther not aggravate me," says schoolmeasther, efther a little
time. "I'll brak' every boan in your boddy, Smik