"Then may God rot me, and plague me, and let me roast in hell-fire with
the rogues for ever and a day, if I so much as whisper your news to man
or mouse! There, will that do?"

"No call to drag in hell fire, 'cause I knaw you doan't set no count on
it. More doan't I. Hell's cold ashes now if all what you ve said is
true. But you've sworn all right and now I'll tell 'e."

He bent forward and whispered in the other's ear, whereon Hicks started
in evident amazement and showed himself much concerned.

"Good Heavens! Man alive, are you mad?"

"You doan't 'zactly look on ahead enough, Clem," said Will loftily.
"Ban't the thing itself's gwaine to make a fortune, but what comes of
it. 'Tis a tidy stepping-stone lead-in' to gert matters very often, as
your books tell, I dare say."

"It can't lead to anything whatever in your case but wasted years."

"I'm best judge of that. I've planned the road, and if I ban't home
again inside ten year as good a man as Grimbal or any other I'll say I
was wrong."

"You're a bigger fool than even I thought, Blanchard."

Will's eye flashed.

"You 'm a tidy judge of a fule, I grant," he said angrily, "or should
be. But you 'm awnly wan more against me. You'll see you 'm wrong like