I
haven't meant any offence. I said "how d'ye do," at first, didn't I?
But you wouldn't answer. How you do? Besides,' said Rob piteously, 'look
here! How can a cove stand talking in the street with his master's
prad a wanting to be took to be rubbed down, and his master up to every
individgle thing that happens!'

The old woman made a show of being partially appeased, but shook her
head, and mouthed and muttered still.

'Come along to the stables, and have a glass of something that's good
for you, Misses Brown, can't you?' said Rob, 'instead of going on, like
that, which is no good to you, nor anybody else. Come along with her,
will you be so kind?' said Rob. 'I'm sure I'm delighted to see her, if
it wasn't for the horse!'

With this apology, Rob turned away, a rueful picture of despair, and
walked his charge down a bye street' The old woman, mouthing at her
daughter, followed close upon him. The daughter followed.

Turning into a silent little square or court-yard that had a great
church tower rising above it, and a packer's warehouse, and a
bottle-maker's warehouse, for its places of business, Rob the Grinder
delivered the white-legged horse to the hostler of a quaint stable at
the corner; and inviting Mrs Brown and her daughter to seat themselves
upon a stone bench at the gate of that establishment, soon reappeared
from a neighbouring public-house with a pewter measure and a glass.

'Here's master--Mr Carker, child!' said the old woman, slowly, as her
sentiment before drinking. 'Lord bless him!'

'Why, I didn't tell you who he was,' observed Rob, with staring eyes.

'We know him by sight,' said Mrs Brown, whose working mouth and nodding
head stopped for the moment, in the fixedness of her attention. 'We saw
him pass this morning, afore he got off his horse; when you were ready
to take it.'

'Ay, ay,' returned Rob, appearing to wish that his readiness had carried
him to any other place.--'What's the matter with her? Won't she drink?'

This inquiry had reference to Alice, who, folded in her cloak, sat a
little apart, profoundly inattentive to his offer of the replenished
glass.

The old woman shook her head. 'Don't mind her,' she said; 'she's a
strange creetur, if you know'd her, Rob. But Mr Carker--'

'Hush!' said Rob, glancing cautiously up at the packer's, and at the
bottle-maker's, as if, from any one of the tiers of warehouses, Mr
Carker might be looking down. 'Softly.'

'Why, he ain't here!' cried