\"an answer to the question i axed.\"

\"i gāve it you before. don\"t waste any more of your time.\"

\"yo\" made a remark, sir, on my impudence: but i were taught that it wasmanners to say either \"yes\" or \"no,\" when i were axed a civil question. ishould be thankfu\" to yo\" if yo\"d give me work. hamper will speak to mybeing a good hand.\"

\"i\"ve a notion you\"d better not send me to hamper to ask for a character,my man. i might hear more than you\"d like.\"

\"i\"d take th\" risk. worst they could say of me is, that i did what i thoughtbest, even to my own wrong.\"

\"you\"d better go and try them, then, and see whether they\"ll give youwork. i\"ve turned off upwards of a hundred of my best hands, for noother fault than following you and such as you; and d\"ye think i\"ll takeyou on? i might as well put a firebrand into the midst of the cotton-waste.\"

higgins turned away; then the recollection of boucher came over him,

and he faced round with the greatest concession he could persuadehimself to make.

\"i\"d promise yo\", measter, i\"d not speak a word as could do harm, if so beyo\" did right by us; and i\"d promise more: i\"d promise that when i seedyo\" going wrong, and acting unfair, i\"d speak to yo\" in private first; andthat would be a fair warning. if yo\" and i did na agree in our opinion o\"

your conduct, yo\" might turn me off at an hour\"s notice.\"

\"upon my word, you don\"t think small beer of yourself! hamper has hada loss of you. how came he to let you and your wisdom go?\"

\"well, we parted wi\" mutual dissatisfaction. i wouldn\"t gi\"e the pledgethey were asking; and they wouldn\"t hāve me at no rate. so i\"m free tomake another engagement; and as i said before, though i should na\" sayit, i\"m a good hand, measter, and a steady man--specially when i cankeep fro\" drink; and that i shall do now, if i ne\"er did afore.\"

\"that you may hāve more money laid up for another strike, i suppose?\"

\"no! i\"d be thankful if i was free to do that; it\"s for to keep th\" widow andchilder of a man who was drove mad by them knobsticks o\" yourn; putout of his place by a paddy that did na know weft fro\" warp.\"

\"well! you\"d better turn to something else, if you\"ve any such goodintention in your head. i shouldn\"t advise you to stay in milton: you\"retoo well known here.\"

\"if it were summer,\" said higgins, \"i\"d take to paddy\"s work, and go as anāvvy, or haymaking, or summut, and ne\"er see milton again. but it\"swinter, and th\" childer will clem.\"