writing in a crabbed hand, in a big ledger, and Kit Smallbones
towered above both, holding in his hand a bundle of tally-sticks.
By the help of these, and of that accuracy of memory which writing
has destroyed, he was unfolding, down to the very last farthing, the
entire account of payments and receipts during his master's absence,
the debtor and creditor account being preserved as perfectly as if
he had always had a pen in his huge fingers, and studied book-
keeping by double or single entry.

On the return of the two boys with such an apparently respectable
member of society as the handsome well-dressed personage who
accompanied them, little Dennet, who had been set to sew her sampler
on a stool by her grandmother, under penalty of being sent off to
bed if she disturbed her father, sprang up with a little cry of
gladness, and running up to Ambrose, entreated for the tales of his
good greenwood Forest, and the pucks and pixies, and the girl who
daily shared her breakfast with a snake and said, "Eat your own
side, Speckleback." Somehow, on Sunday night she had gathered that
Ambrose had a store of such tales, and she dragged him off to the
gallery, there to revel in them, while his brother remained with her
father.

Though Master Stephen had begun by being high and mighty about
mechanical crafts, and thought it a great condescension to consent
to be bound apprentice, yet when once again in the Dragon court, it
looked so friendly and felt so much like a home that he found
himself very anxious that Master Headley should not say that he
could take no more apprentices at present, and that he should be
satisfied with the terms uncle Hal would propose. And oh! suppose
Tibble should recognise Quipsome Hal!