"One day in the year, sure there's no harm in being merry," said the stable-boy.
"I hope not," said Jem, "for I know, for my part, I am merry every day in the year."
"That's very odd," said Lawrence; "but I know, for my part, I would not for all the world miss going to the fair, for at least it will be something to talk of for half a year after—come, you'll go, won't you?"
"No," said Jem, still looking as if he did not like to talk before the ill-looking stranger.
"Then what will you do with all your money?"
"I'll tell you about that another time," whispered Jem; "and don't you go to see that cock's eyes pecked out; it won't make you merry, I'm sure."
"If I had anything else to divert me," said Lawrence, hesitating and yawning.
"Come," cried the stable-boy, seizing his stretching arm, "come along," cried he; and pulling him away from Jem, upon whom he cast a look of extreme contempt, "leave him alone; he is not the sort. What a tool you are," said he to Lawrence the moment he got him out of the stable; "you might have known he would not go, else we should soon have trimmed him out of his four and seven-pence. But how came you to talk of four and seven-pence? I saw in the manger a hatful of silver."
"Indeed!" exclaimed Lawrence.
"Yes, indeed—but why did you stammer so when we first got in? you had liked to have blown us all up."