ANOTHER DISCOVERY, AND THE EARNEST OF GOOD THINGS.

"DAME, here's one o' Ben's gallipots he flung away it's nought but honey, damemarked so—no crock of gold; don't expect it; no such thing; luck like that isn't for such as me: though, being as it is, the babes may like it, with their dry bread: open it, goodwife: I hope the water mayn't ha' spoilt it.”

The notable Mary Acton produced certain scissors, hanging from her pocket by a tape, and cut a knot, which to Roger had been Gordian's.

66

Why, it's bran, Acton, not honey; look here, will you.” She tilted it up, and, along with a cloud of sawdust, dropped out a heavy hailstorm of-little bits of leather!

what's that?" said Roger eagerly; ̧ld, gold, I'll be sworn!" It was so. very separate bit of money, whatever kind of coins they were, had been tidily sewn up in a shred of leather; remnants of old gloves of all colours ; and the Narbonne jar contained six hundred and eighty-seven of them. These, of course, were hastily picked up from the path whereon they first had fallen, were counted out at home, and the glittering contents of most of those little leather-bags ripped up were immediately discovered. Oh dear, oh dear, such a sight! Guineas and half-guineas, sovereigns and half-sovereigns, quite a little hill of bright, clean, prettily figured gold.

"Hip, hip, hooray!" shouted Roger in an ecstacy; “ Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah !" and in the madness of his joy, he executed an extravagant pas seul; up went his hat, round went his heels, and he capered awkwardly like a lunatic giraffe. "Here's an end to all our troubles, Poll; we're as good as gentlefolks now: catch me a-calling at the Hall, to bother about Jennings and Sir John: a fig for bailiffs and baronets,

G

CHAPTER XV.

ANOTHER DISCOVERY, AND THE EARNEST OF GOOD THINGS.

"DAME, here's one o' Ben's gallipots he flung away: it's nought but honey, damemarked so-no crock of gold; don't expect it; no such thing; luck like that isn't for such as me: though, being as it is, the babes may like it, with their dry bread: open it, goodwife: I hope the water mayn't ha' spoilt it."

The notable Mary Acton produced certain scissors, hanging from her pocket by a tape, and cut a knot, which to Roger had been Gordian's.

66

Why, it's bran, Acton, not honey; look here, will you." She tilted it up, and, along with a cloud of sawdust, dropped out a heavy hailstorm of- little bits of leather!

"Hallo! what's that?" said Roger eagerly; "it's gold, gold, I'll be sworn!" It was so.

Every separate bit of money, whatever kind of coins they were, had been tidily sewn up in a shred of leather; remnants of old gloves of all colours; and the Narbonne jar contained six hundred and eighty-seven of them. These, of course, were hastily picked up from the path whereon they first had fallen, were counted out at home, and the glittering contents of most of those little leather-bags ripped up were immediately discovered. Oh dear, oh dear, such a sight! Guineas and half-guineas, sovereigns and half-sovereigns, quite a little hill of bright, clean, prettily figured gold.

66

Hip, hip, hooray!" shouted Roger in an ecstacy; "Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah!" and in the madness of his joy, he executed an extravagant pas seul; up went his hat, round went his heels, and he capered awkwardly like a lunatic giraffe. "Here's an end to all our troubles, Poll; we're as good as gentlefolks now: catch me a-calling at the Hall, to bother about Jennings and Sir John: a fig for bailiffs and baronets,

G

parsons, and prisons and all," and again he roared Hooray! "I tell you what though, old 'ooman, we must just try the taste of our glorious golden luck, before we do anything else. Bide a bit, wench, and hide the hoard till I return. I'm off to the Bacchus's Arms, and I'll bring you some stingo in a minute, old gal." So off he ran hot-foot, to get an earnest of the blessing of his crock of gold.

The minute that was promised to produce the stingo, proved to be rather of a lengthened character; it might, indeed, have been a minute or the fraction of one, in the planet Herschel, whose year is as long as eighty-five of our Terra's, but according to Greenwich calculation, it was nearer like two hours.

The little Tom and Jerry shop that rejoiced in the classical heraldry of Bacchus's Arms, had been startled from all conventionalities by the unwonted event of the demand, " change for a sovereign?" and when it was made known to the assembled conclave that Roger Acton was the fortunate possessor, that event assumed an appearance positively miraculous.