“Oh, nonsense, Harry! You must keep out of that. We shall think of some way to get you out of that before morning. And you must get clear away, and go to work on the railways or somewhere. There's nothing to be downhearted about as far as Patty is concerned.”
“Ah! 'tis they as wears it as knows where the shoe pinches. You'd say different if 'twas you, Master Tom.”
“Should I?” said Tom; and, after pausing a moment or two, he went on. “What I'm going to say is in confidence. I've never told it to any man yet, and only one has found it out. Now, Harry, I'm much worse off than you are at this minute. Don't I know where the shoe pinches! Why I haven't seen—I've scarcely heard of—of—well, of my sweetheart—there, you'll understand that—for this year and more. I don't know when I may see her again. I don't know that she hasn't clean forgotten me. I don't know that she ever cared a straw for me. Now you know quite well that you are better off than that.”
“I bean't so sure o' that, Master Tom. But I be terrible vexed to hear about you.”
“Never mind about me. You say you're not sure, Harry. Come, now, you said, not two minutes ago, that you two had broken a sixpence over it. What does that mean, now?”
“Ah! but 'tis four years gone. Her's been a leadin' o' me up and down, and a dancin' o' me round and round purty nigh ever since, let alone the time as she wur at Oxford, when—”
“Well, we won't talk of that, Harry. Come, will yesterday do for you? If you thought she was all right yesterday, would that satisfy you?”
“Ees; and summat to spare.”
“You don't believe it, I see. Well, why do you think I came after you to-night? How did I know what was going on?”
“That's just what I've been a-axin' o' myself as we cum along.”