`Poor fellow!' said Nicholas, `your hard fate denies you any friend but one, and he is nearly as poor and helpless as yourself.'

`May I--may I go with you?' asked Smike, timidly. `I will be your faithful hard-working servant, I will, indeed. I want no clothes,' added the poor creature, drawing his rags together; `these will do very well. I only want to be near you.'

`And you shall,' cried Nicholas. `And the world shall deal by you as it does by me, till one or both of us shall quit it for a better. Come!'

With these words, he strapped his burden on his shoulders, and, taking his stick in one hand, extended the other to his delighted charge; and so they passed out of the old barn, together.


  By PanEris using Melati.

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