ever since I was a chiel of eleven. But for all that 'tisn't in me to
call the man a bad man, because I truly and sincerely believe en to be a
good young feller."

Some of the youthful sparkle that used to reside there animated William's
eye as he uttered the words, and a certain nobility of aspect was also
imparted to him by the setting sun, which gave him a Titanic shadow at
least thirty feet in length, stretching away to the east in outlines of
imposing magnitude, his head finally terminating upon the trunk of a
grand old oak-tree.

"Mayble's a hearty feller enough," the tranter replied, "and will spak to
you be you dirty or be you clane. The first time I met en was in a
drong, and though 'a didn't know me no more than the dead, 'a passed the
time of day. 'D'ye do?' he said, says he, nodding his head. 'A fine
day.' Then the second time I met en was full-buff in town street, when
my breeches were tore into a long strent by getting through a copse of
thorns and brimbles for a short cut home-along; and not wanting to
disgrace the man by spaking in that state, I fixed my eye on the
weathercock to let en pass me as a stranger. But no: 'How d'ye do,
Reuben?' says he, right hearty, and shook my hand. If I'd been dressed
in silver spangles from top to toe, the man couldn't have been civiller."

At this moment Dick was seen coming up the village-street, and they
turned and watched him.



CHAPTER III: A TURN IN THE DISCUSSION