the day before I
saw them. Finding only women therein, and these in a sad condition, Tom
with his usual chivalry (as he had no scent of the necklace) allowed
them to pass; with nothing more than a pleasant exchange of courtesies,
and a testimonial forced upon him, in the shape of a bottle of Burgundy
wine. This the poor countess handed him; and he twisted the cork out
with his teeth, and drank her health with his hat off.

'A lady she was, and a true one; and I am a pretty good judge,' said
Tom: 'ah, I do like a high lady!'

Our Annie looked rather queer at this, having no pretensions to be one:
but she conquered herself, and said, 'Yes, Tom; and many of them liked
you.'

With this, Tom went on the brag at once, being but a shallow fellow, and
not of settled principles, though steadier than he used to be; until I
felt myself almost bound to fetch him back a little; for of all things
I do hate brag the most, as any reader of this tale must by this time
know. Therefore I said to Squire Faggus, 'Come back from your highway
days. You have married the daughter of an honest man; and such talk
is not fit for her. If you were right in robbing people, I am right
in robbing you. I could bind you to your own mantelpiece, as you know
thoroughly well, Tom; and drive away with your own horses, and all your
goods behind them, but for the sense of honesty. And should I not do as
fine a thing as any you did on the highway? If everything is of public
right, how does this chair belong to you? Clever as you are, Tom Faggus,
you are nothing but a fool to mix your felony with your farmership. Drop
the one, or drop the other; you cannot maintain them both.'

As I finished very sternly a speech which had exhausted me more than ten
rounds of wrestling--but I was carried away by the truth, as sometimes
happens to all of us--Tom had not a word to say; albeit his mind was
so much more nimble and rapid than ever mine was. He leaned against the
mantelpiece (a newly-invented affair in his house) as if I had corded
him to it, even as I spoke of doing. And he laid one hand on his breast
in a way which made Annie creep softly to him, and look at me not like a
sister.

'You have done me good, John,' he said at last, and the hand he gave me
was trembling: 'there is no other man on God's earth would have dared
to speak to me as you have done. From no other would I have taken it.
Nevertheless every word is true; and I shall dwell on it when you are
g