“I didn’t, Master Tom; I never touched it. Go and swear I didn’t ’fore all the judges in the land.”
“Don’t tell a lie to hide it,” said Tom bitterly.
“Lie! me tell a lie! S’elp me, Master Tom, it’s as true as true.”
“But you reached over to open the window, and knocked it off, David.”
“Swear as I never went a-nigh the window, sir. Don’t you go and say it was me when it was you.”
“I?” cried Tom, flushing.
“Well, sir, you say it was me, and I see you reach out, and the blanket all falled down—now didn’t I, sir?”
“Yes; the blanket went down, but the speculum was not in it, or we should have heard it fall.”
“Not if it was all wrapped up in that there blanket, sir.”
“I tell you we should,” cried Tom, in his angry despair. “You don’t know how heavy it was. What shall I do? What will uncle say?”