Part 70 (1/2)

'What's the ,' replied Squeers, 'only I'ain Once more, Frank, by a rapid motion of his arm, unaccompanied by any noise, checked him in his purpose

'Here you are,' said Squeers, 'bonds-take care of thenovits-take care of thee or erly throwing towards the old woht up for the purpose, Squeers, as she turned her head, thrust into the breast of his large coat, the deed in which these words had caught his eye, and burst into a shout of triuot it! Hurrah! The plan was a good one, though the chance was desperate, and the day's our own at last!'

Peg dehed at, but no ansas returned Newer be restrained; the bellows, descending heavily and with unerring aim on the very centre of Mr Squeers's head, felled him to the floor, and stretched him on it flat and senseless

CHAPTER 58

In which one Scene of this History is closed

Dividing the distance into two days' journey, in order that his chargeso far, Nicholas, at the end of the second day fro home, found himself within a very few miles of the spot where the happiest years of his life had been passed, and which, while it filled his ht back many painful and vivid recollections of the circumstances in which he and his had wandered forth froh world and the ers

It needed no such reflections as those which thescenes where our childhood has been passed, usually awaken in the most insensible minds, to soften the heart of Nicholas, and render hiht and day, at all times and seasons: alatchful, attentive, and solicitous, and never varying in the discharge of his self-imposed duty to one so friendless and helpless as he whose sands of life were now fast running out and dwindling rapidly away: he was ever at his side He never left hie and animate him, administer to his wants, support and cheer him to the ut occupation

They procured a hu in a small farmhouse, surrounded by meadohere Nicholas had often revelled when a child with a troop of merry schoolfellows; and here they took up their rest

At first, Sh to walk about, for short distances at a time, with no other support or aid than that which Nicholas could afford hi appeared to interest hi those places which had beento this fancy, and pleased to find that its indulgence beguiled the sick boy of many tedious hours, and never failed to afford hiht and conversation afterwards, Nicholashi hi these old haunts, or lingered in the sunlight to take long parting looks of those which were most quiet and beautiful

It was on such occasions as these, that Nicholas, yielding almost unconsciously to the interest of old associations, would point out some tree that he had cli birds in their nest; and the branch from which he used to shout to little Kate, who stood below terrified at the height he had gained, and yet urging hiher still by the intensity of her admiration There was the old house too, which they would pass every day, looking up at the tinythrough which the sun used to streas-they were all su over, Nicholas could see the very rose-bush which had come, a present to Kate, from some little lover, and she had planted with her own hands There were the hedgerohere the brother and sister had so often gathered wild flowers together, and the green fields and shady paths where they had so often strayed There was not a lane, or brook, or copse, or cottage near, hich some childish event was not entwined, and back it ca in itself: perhaps a word, a laugh, a look, soht or fear: and yet ly and distinctly marked, and better remembered, than the hardest trials or severest sorrows of a year ago

One of these expeditions led therave 'Even here,' said Nicholas softly, 'we used to loiter before we knehat death was, and e little thought whose ashes would rest beneath; and, wondering at the silence, sit down to rest and speak below our breath Once, Kate was lost, and after an hour of fruitless search, they found her, fast asleep, under that tree which shades rave He was very fond of her, and said when he took her up in his ar, that whenever he died he would wish to be buried where his dear little child had laid her head You see his as not forgotten'

Nothing ht, as Nicholas sat beside his bed, S his hand in his, prayed, as the tears coursed down his face, that he would make him one solemn promise

'What is that?' said Nicholas, kindly 'If I can redeem it, or hope to do so, you knoill'

'I am sure you will,' was the reply 'Promise me that when I die, I shall be buried near-as near as they can ave the proive it in, but they were solemn and earnest His poor friend kept his hand in his, and turned as if to sleep But there were stifled sobs; and the hand was pressed more than once, or twice, or thrice, before he sank to rest, and slowly loosed his hold

In a fortnight's time, he became too ill to move about Once or twice, Nicholas drove him out, propped up with pillows; but the ht on fits of fainting, which, in his weakened state, were dangerous There was an old couch in the house, which was his favourite resting-place by day; and when the sun shone, and the weather arm, Nicholas had this wheeled into a little orchard which was close at hand, and his charge being rapped up and carried out to it, they used to sit there soether

It was on one of these occasions that a circuhly believed to be the ination affected by disease; but which he had, afterwards, too good reason to knoas of real and actual occurrence

He had brought Sht have carried hied his couch, had taken his seat beside it He had been watching the whole of the night before, and being greatly fatigued both in radually fell asleep

He could not have closed his eyes fiveup in that kind of terror which affects a person suddenly roused, saw, to his great astonish posture, and with eyes al on his forehead, and in a fit of tre to him for help

'Good Heaven, what is this?' said Nicholas, bending over hi'

'No, no, no!' cried So There, there Behind the tree!'

Nicholas followed his eyes, which were directed to some distance behind the chair fro there

'This is nothing but your fancy,' he said, as he strove to co else, indeed'

'I know better I saw as plain as I see noas the answer 'Oh! say you'll keep me with you Swear you won't leave me for an instant!'

'Do I ever leave you?' returned Nicholas 'Lie down again-there! You see I'm here Now, tell me; as it?'

'Do you re fearfully round, 'do you re you of the man who first took me to the school?'

'Yes, surely'

'I raised my eyes, just noards that tree-that one with the thick trunk-and there, with his eyes fixed on me, he stood!'

'Only reflect for one , for an instant, that it's likely he is alive and wandering about a lonely place like this, so far removed from the public road, do you think that at this distance of tiain?'

'Anywhere-in any dress,' returned S upon his stick and looking at me, exactly as I told you I re, and poorly dressed-I think his clothes were ragged-but directly I saw hiht, his face when he left me, the parlour I was left in, and the people that were there, all seeether When he knew I saw hihtened; for he started, and shrunk away I have thought of hiht He looked in my sleep, when I was quite a little child, and has looked in my sleep ever since, as he did just now'

Nicholas endeavoured, by every persuasion and argument he could think of, to convince the terrified creature that his iination had deceived him, and that this close resemblance between the creation of his dreams and the man he supposed he had seen was but a proof of it; but all in vain When he could persuade him to remain, for a few ed, he instituted a strict inquiry whether any stranger had been seen, and searched hih the orchard, and upon the land i, and in every place near, where it was possible for a man to lie concealed; but all in vain Satisfied that he was right in his original conjecture, he applied hi the fears of S, though not in reain and again, in the most solemn and fervid manner, that he had positively seen what he had described, and that nothing could ever remove his conviction of its reality

And now, Nicholas began to see that hope was gone, and that, upon the partner of his poverty, and the sharer of his better fortune, the world was closing fast There was little pain, little uneasiness, but there was no rallying, no effort, no struggle for life He orn and wasted to the last degree; his voice had sunk so low, that he could scarce be heard to speak Nature was thoroughly exhausted, and he had lain him down to die

On a fine, mild autumn day, when all was tranquil and at peace: when the soft sweet air crept in at the openof the quiet roo of the leaves: Nicholas sat in his old place by the bedside, and knew that the time was nearly come So very still it was, that, every now and then, he bent down his ear to listen for the breathing of him who lay asleep, as if to assure himself that life was still there, and that he had not fallen into that deep slu

While he was thus employed, the closed eyes opened, and on the pale face there came a placid smile

'That's well!' said Nicholas 'The sleep has done you good'

'I have had such pleasant dreams,' was the answer 'Such pleasant, happy drea boy turned towards hi his arm about his neck, made answer, 'I shall soon be there!'