ng, joyous, triumphant whistle sounded, and every time with a fresh
peril and a fresh escape. At last, the young gentleman, panting and
breathless, stood at my side, and I began to question him as to the
treasure he had been pursuing.

"It's the ground-ash, ma'am," responded master Dick, taking one of the
coils from his pocket; "the best riding-switch in the world. All the
whips that ever were made are nothing to it. Only see how strong it
is, how light, and how supple! You may twist it a thousand ways without
breaking. It won't break, do what you will. Each of these, now, is
worth half-a-crown or three shillings, for they are the scarcest things
possible. They grow up at a little distance from the root of an old
tree, like a sucker from a rose-bush. Great luck, indeed!" continued
Dick, putting up his treasure with another joyful whistle; "it was but
t'other day that Jack Barlow offered me half-a-guinea for four, if I
could but come by them. I shall certainly keep the best, though, for
myself--unless, ma'am, you would be pleased to accept it for the purpose
of whipping Dash." Whipping Dash!!! Well have I said that Dick was as
saucy as a lady's page or a king's jester. Talk of whipping Dash! Why,
the young gentleman knew perfectly well that I had rather be whipt
myself twenty times over. The very sound seemed a profanation. Whip my
Dash! Of course I read master Dick a lecture for this irreverent mention
of my pet, who, poor fellow, hearing his name called in question,
came up in all innocence to fondle me; to which grave remonstrance the
hopeful youth replied by another whistle, half of penitence, half of
amusement.

These discourses brought us to the bottom of the mound, and turning
round a clump of hawthorn and holly, we espied a little damsel with a
basket at her side, and a large knife in her hand, carefully digging
up a large root of white primroses, and immediately recognised my old
acquaintance, Bessy Leigh.

She was, as before, clean, and healthy, and tidy, and unaffectedly glad
to see me; but the joyousness and buoyancy which had made so much of her
original charm, were greatly diminished. It was clear that poor Bessy
had suffered worse griefs than those of cold and hunger; and upon
questioning her, so it turned out.

Her father had died, and her mother had been ill, and the long hard
winter had been hard to get through; and then the rent had come upon
her, and the steward (for the young gentleman himself wa