they flew past in rapid succession.

"Robin," said I, breaking silence again, and using the name which had by
that time grown familiar, "have you made up your mind yet about taking
service with Dr McTougall? Now that we have got Mrs Jones engaged and
paid to look after granny, she will be able to get on pretty well
without you, and you shall have time to run over and see her
frequently."

"H'm! I don't quite see my way," returned the boy, with a solemn look.
"You see, sir, if it was a page-in-buttons I was to be, to attend on
_my_ young lady the guv'ness, I might take it into consideration; but to
go into buttons an' blue merely to open a door an' do the purlite to
wisitors, an' mix up things with bad smells by way of a change--why,
d'ee see, the prospec' ain't temptin'. Besides, I hate blue. The
buttons is all well enough, but blue reminds me so of the bobbies that I
don't think I could surwive it long--indeed I don't!"

"Robin," said I reproachfully, "I'm grieved at your indifference to
friendship."

"'Ow so, sir?"

"Have you not mentioned merely your objections and the disadvantages,
without once weighing against them the advantages?"

"Vich is--?"

"Which are," said I, "being under the same roof with _me_ and with
Punch, to say nothing of your young lady!"

"Ah, to be sure! Vell, but I did think of all that, only, don't you
see, I'll come to be under the same roof with you all in course o' time
w'en you've got spliced an' set up for--"

"Slidder," said I sternly, and losing patience under the boy's
presumption, "you must never again dare to speak of such a thing. You
know very well that it is quite out of the question, and--and--you'll
get into a careless way of referring to such a possibility among
servants or--"

"No; honour bright!" exclaimed Slidder, with, for the first time, a
somewhat abashed look in his face; "I wouldn't for the wealth of the
Injies say a word to nobody wotsomever. It's only atween ourselves that
I wentur's to--"

"Well, well; enough," said I; "don't in future venture to do it even
between ourselves, if you care to retain my friendship. Now. Robin," I
added, as the train slowed, "of course you'll not let a hint of our
reason for going north pass your lips to poor granny or any one; and
give her the old message, that I'll be along to see her soon."

It was pleasant to return to such a hearty reception as I met with from
the doctor's family. Although my absence had bee