'Not a bit,' replied the Yorkshireman, extending his mouth from ear
to ear. 'There I lay, snoog in schoolmeasther's bed long efther it was
dark, and nobody coom nigh the pleace. "Weel!" thinks I, "he's got a
pretty good start, and if he bean't whoam by noo, he never will be; so
you may coom as quick as you loike, and foind us reddy"--that is, you
know, schoolmeasther might coom.'
'I understand,' said Nicholas.
'Presently,' resumed John, 'he DID coom. I heerd door shut doonstairs,
and him a warking, oop in the daark. "Slow and steddy," I says to
myself, "tak' your time, sir--no hurry." He cooms to the door, turns the
key--turns the key when there warn't nothing to hoold the lock--and ca's
oot "Hallo, there!"--"Yes," thinks I, "you may do thot agean, and
not wakken anybody, sir." "Hallo, there," he says, and then he stops.
"Thou'd betther not aggravate me," says schoolmeasther, efther a little
time. "I'll brak' every boan in your boddy, Smike," he says, efther
another little time. Then all of a soodden, he sings oot for a loight,
and when it cooms--ecod, such a hoorly-boorly! "Wa'at's the matter?"
says I.
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