r emotion; for
whether they had been bound for Portsmouth or Port Royal would have been
alike to him, so they had been bound together.

'I don't know much of these matters,' resumed Nicholas; 'but Portsmouth
is a seaport town, and if no other employment is to be obtained, I
should think we might get on board some ship. I am young and active, and
could be useful in many ways. So could you.'

'I hope so,' replied Smike. 'When I was at that--you know where I mean?'

'Yes, I know,' said Nicholas. 'You needn't name the place.'

'Well, when I was there,' resumed Smike; his eyes sparkling at the
prospect of displaying his abilities; 'I could milk a cow, and groom a
horse, with anybody.'

'Ha!' said Nicholas, gravely. 'I am afraid they don't keep many animals
of either kind on board ship, Smike, and even when they have horses,
that they are not very particular about rubbing them down; still you can
learn to do something else, you know. Where there's a will, there's a
way.'

'And I am very willing,' said Smike, brightening up again.

'God knows you are,' rejoined Nicholas; 'and if you fail, it shall go
hard but I'll do enough for us both.'

'Do we go all the way today?' asked Smike, after a short silence.

'That would be too severe a trial, even for your willing legs,' said
Nicholas, with a good-humoured smile. 'No. Godalming is some thirty and
odd miles from London--as I found from a map I borrowed--and I purpose
to rest there. We must push on again tomorrow, for we are not rich
enough to loiter. Let me relieve you of that bundle! Come!'

'No, no,' rejoined Smike, falling back a few steps. 'Don't ask me to
give it up to you.'

'Why not?' asked Nicholas.

'Let me do something for you, at least,' said Smike. 'You will never let
me serve you as I ought. You will never know how I think, day and night,
of ways to please you.'

'You are a foolish fellow to say it, for I know it well, and see it, or
I should be a blind and senseless beast,' rejoined Nicholas. 'Let me ask
you a question while I think of it, and there is no one by,' he added,
looking him steadily in the face. 'Have you a good memory?'

'I don't know,' said Smike, shaking his head sorrowfully. 'I think I had
once; but it's all gone now--all gone.'

'Why do you think you had once?' asked Nicholas, turning quickly upon
him as though the answer in some way helped out the purport of his
question.

'Because I could remember, when I was a child,' said Smike