`Hark how he speaks to an old friend, my deary!' said Mrs. Brown, again appealing to her daughter. `But there's some of his old friends no so patient as me. If I was to tell some that he knows, and has sported and cheated with, where to find him--'

`Will you hold your tongue, Misses Brown?' interrupted the miserable Grinder, glancing quickly round, as though he excepted to see his master's teeth shining at his elbow. `What do you take a pleasure in ruining a cove for? At your time of life too! when you ought to be thinking of a variety of things!'

`What a gallant hours!' said the old woman, patting the animal's neck.

`Let him alone, will you, Misses Brown?' cried Rob, pushing away her hand. `You're enough to drive a penitent cove mad!'

`Why, what hurt do I do him, child?' returned the old woman.

`Hurt?' said Rob. `He's got a master that would find it out if he was touched with a straw.' And he blew upon the place where the old woman's hand had rested for a moment, and smoothed it gently with his finger, as if he seriously believed what he said.

The old woman looking back to mumble and mouth at her daughter, who followed, kept close to Rob's heels as he walked on with the bridle in his hand; and pursued the conversation.

`A good place, Rob, eh?' said she. `You're luck, my child.'

`Oh don't talk about luck, Misses Brown,' returned the wretched Grinder, facing round and stopping. `If you'd never come, or if you'd go away, then indeed a cove might be considered tolerably lucky. Can't you go along, Misses Brown, and not foller me!' blubbered Rob, with sudden defiance. `If the young woman's a friend of yours, why don't she take you away, instead of letting you make yourself so disgraceful!'

`What!' croaked the old woman, putting her face close to his, with a malevolent grin upon it that puckered up the loose skin down in her very throat. `Do you deny your old chum!Have you lurked to my house fifty times, and slept sound in a corner when you had no other bed but the paving-stones, and do you talk to me like this! Have I bought and sold with you, and helped you in my way of business, schoolboy, sneak, and what not, and do you tell me to go along! Could I raise a crowd of old company about you to-morrow morning, that would follow you to ruin like copies of your own shadow, and do you turn on me with your bold looks! I'll go. Come, Alice.'

`Stop, Misses Brown!' cried the distracted Grinder. `What are you doing of? Don't put yourself in a passion! Don't let her go, if you please. I haven't meant any offence. I said "how d'ye do," at first, didn't I? But you wouldn't answer. How do you do? Besides,' said Rob piteously, `look here!How can a cove stand talking in the street with his master's prad a wanting to be took to be rubbed down, and his master up to every individgle thing that happens!'

The old woman made a show of being partially appeased, but shook her head, and mouthed and muttered still.

`Come along to the stables, and have a glass of something that's good for you, Misses Brown, can't you?' said Rob, `instead of going on, like that, which is no good to you, nor anybody else. Come along with her, will you be so kind?' said Rob. `I'm delighted to see her, if it wasn't for the horse!'

With this apology, Rob turned away, a rueful picture of despair, and walked his charge down a bye street. The old woman, mouthing at her daughter, followed close upon him. The daughter followed.

Turning into a silent little square of court-yard that had a great church tower rising above it, and a packer's warehouse, and a bottle-maker's warehouse, for its place of business, Rob the Grinder delivered the white-legged horse to the hostler of a quaint stable at the corner; and inviting Mrs. Brown and her daughter