t
attacked going back to the School. A fine-looking chap he is too, with a
pleasant face, and a nice sort of way about him. No nonsense, you know;
he talked just pleasant and nice, as Harry might talk to me, just as if
he was a sort of pal, and not a swell no-how."

"I should like to shake hands with him," John Holl repeated; "he saved
your life, that's sure enough"--for by this time Harry had related the
full details of the affair. "I think, Sarah, as it would be only right
and proper, come Sunday, for you and I to go round to that young
fellow's house and tell him how we feels about it. If it had been a chap
of our own station in life I suppose there ain't nothing we wouldn't do
for him, if we saw our way to it; and though I don't see as it's likely
as we can do nothing for this young fellow, the least as we can do is to
go and tell him what we thinks about it. Did he tell you where he lived,
Evan?"

"No, father. He didn't say where he lived; but he writ down in a
pocket-book my name and where we lived, and said as how he would look in
one of these days and see that I was none the worse for my ducking."

"Well, I hopes as how he will," John said, "but if he don't come soon,
we must find him out. I expect his name or his father's name would be
down in a 'Rectory, and the name ain't so common a one as there would be
likely to be a great many on them living about here; but if there was
fifty I would call on them all till I found the right one. I shan't be
easy in my mind, not till I have shaken that young chap's hand and told
him what I thinks on it. And I am sure your mother feels the same as I
do. And now, Harry, take out that fiddle of yours and let's have a tune;
my pipe allus seems to draw better and sweeter while you are playing."

One of the children--there were eight in all in the room--fetched
Harry's fiddle from the wall. It was a cheap, common instrument, but
even far better judges of music than the Holls would have been able to
discern, in spite of its cracked and harsh tone, that the lad who was
playing it had a genius for music. It is true that the airs which he was
playing, those which the street boys of the day whistled as they walked
by, were not of a nature to display his powers. Harry could play other
and very different kinds of music; for whenever Evan earned a sixpence
by holding a horse, or doing any other odd job, a penny or twopence were
sure to go in the purchase of a sheet of music for Harry