She bain't a one to blab. What dost thou say?"
Ned, who felt utterly worn out, assented gladly to the proposal, and
an entrance was easily effected into the desolate cottage formerly
used as a day school. Bill went off at once and soon returned with
a load of firewood; the shutters were then carefully closed, and
a fire quickly blazed brightly on the hearth. Bill then went away
again, and in a quarter of an hour returned with Mary Powlett. He
carried a bundle of rugs and blankets, while she had a kettle in
one hand and a large basket in the other.
"Good evening! Master Sankey," she said as she entered. "Bill has
told me all about it, and I am sorry indeed for you and for your
mother. It is worse for her, poor lady, than for you. You will soon
be old enough to go out into the world if you don't like things
at home; but she will have to bear what trouble comes to her. And
now I thought you would like a cup of tea, so I have brought the
kettle and things up. I haven't had tea yet, and they don't have
tea at Bill's; but I like it, though feyther grumbles sometimes,
and says it's too expensive for the likes of us in sich times as
these; but he knows I would rather go without meat than without
tea, so he lets me have it. Bill comes in for a cup sometimes, for
he likes it better than beer, and it's a deal better for him to be
sitting taking a cup of tea with me than getting into the way of
going down to the 'Spotted Dog,' and drinking beer there.
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