not be amiss to devote part of the money to buy six dozen more;
and the remainder, my love, which would be about one pound eighteen, I
thought I would divide--'for he that giveth to the poor lendeth to the
Lord!'--among the thirty poor families on the common; that is, if they
behaved well, and the apples in the back garden were not feloniously
abstracted!"

"Excellent, charitable man!" ejaculated Mrs. Slopperton. "While I was
thus meditating, I lifted my eyes, and saw before me two men,--one
of prodigious height, and with a great profusion of hair about his
shoulders; the other was smaller, and wore his hat slouched over
his face: it was a very large hat. My attention was arrested by the
singularity of the tall person's hair, and while I was smiling at its
luxuriance, I heard him say to his companion, 'Well, Augustus, as you
are such a moral dog, he is in your line, not mine; so I leave him to
you.' Little did I think those words related to me. No sooner were they
uttered than the tall rascal leaped over a gate and disappeared; the
other fellow, then marching up to me, very smoothly asked me the way to
the church, and while I was explaining to him to turn first to the
right and then to the left, and so on,--for the best way is, you know,
exceedingly crooked,--the hypocritical scoundrel seized me by the
collar, and cried out, 'Your money or your life!' I do assure you that
I never trembled so much,--not, my dear Miss Lucy, so much for my own
sake, as for the sake of the thirty poor families on the common, whose
wants it had been my intention to relieve. I gave up the money,
finding my prayers and expostulations were in vain; and the dog then,
brandishing over my head an enormous bludgeon, said--what abominable
language!--'I think, doctor, I shall put an end to an existence
derogatory to your self and useless to others.' At that moment the young
gentleman beside me sprang over the very gate by which the tall ruffian
had disappeared, and cried, 'Hold, villain!' On seeing my deliverer,
the coward started back, and plunged into a neighbouring wood. The good
young gentleman pursued him for a few minutes, but then returning to my
aid, conducted me home; and as we used to say at school,--

"' Te rediisse incolumem gaudeo,'--

which, being interpreted, means (sir, excuse a pun, I am sure so great a
friend to the Church understands Latin) that I am very glad to get back
safe to my tea. He! he! And now, Miss Lu